Immediate Effect of Mobilization vs Myofascial Release on Pain and Range of Motion in Patients with Shoulder Impingement Syndrome: A Pilot Randomized Trial

Abstract

Background: Shoulder Impingment Syndrome (SIS) is a generic term for injury of structures in the subacromial space, regarded as anatomic abnormalities of the coracoacromial arch or humeral head. SIS is thought to be associated with articular or myofascial dysfunction, various researches have been done on rehabilitation of shoulder impingement by addressing either osseous structure or myofascial structure and found to be effective. But no studies could retrieve to compare these two. Objective: To compare the immediate effects of mobilization vs myofascial release on pain and range of motion in subjects with shoulder impingement syndrome. Study Design: A pilot randomized trial. Method: 20 subjects with SIS of both the genders were randomly divided into two groups: group 1 (n=10), which received MFR on active muscle trigger points and group 2 (n=10), received mobilization of AC joint along with Thoracic spine for four sessions. The outcome measures shoulder pain and range of motions measured at the baseline, end of 1st session and 1st week. Result: The result of this present study showed that participants of both the groups experienced significant improvement in all the outcomes (p<0.05), but the MFR group was superior in reducing pain intensity. Conclusion: The study concluded that MFR can be used as an initial treatment for pain reduction among SIS individuals.