Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Exercise for Shoulder Pain

César Fernández-de-las-Peñas

Status: Completed

Conditions: Shoulder Pain

Treatments: Other: Exercise; Other: Placebo Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation; Other: Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06158568

URJC0609202218622

Details and patient eligibility

About

Based on the available literature, application of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation interventions targeting peripheral nerves (also called percutaneous neuromodulation) has shown positive effects for improving pain-related and functional outcomes in musculoskeletal chronic pain. Studies investigating the use of this intervention for the shoulder are lacking.

Full description

Based on the available literature, application of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation interventions targeting peripheral nerves (also called percutaneous neuromodulation) has shown positive effects for improving pain-related and functional outcomes in musculoskeletal chronic pain. Studies investigating the use of this intervention for the shoulder are lacking.

Enrollment: 59 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Unilateral non-traumatic shoulder pain (positive painful arc during shoulder abduction and a positive Hawkins test on clinical examination)
• Shoulder pain from at least 3 months
• Shoulder pain of more than 3/10 points on a NPRS

Exclusion criteria

• Bilateral shoulder symptoms
• Younger than 18 or older than 65 years
• History of shoulder traumatisms, fractures or dislocation
• Diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy or myelopathy
• Previous interventions with steroid injections in the shoulder area
• Comorbid medical conditions, e.g., fibromyalgia syndrome
• Previous history of shoulder or neck surgery
• Any type of intervention for the neck-shoulder area during the previous year
• Fear to needles

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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59 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

Participants assigned to this group will received four sessions (once per week) of ultrasound guided percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation targeting the axillar and suprascapular nerves for 30 minutes. We will apply a biphasic compensated electrical current at a frequency of 2 Hz, a pulse width of 250 μs and intensity allowed over a pain-free motor threshold (muscle contraction). In addition, they will receive a program of exercises for the shoulder musculature for 3 weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Exercise

Other: Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

Placebo Percutaneous Nerve Stimulation

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants assigned to this group will received four sessions (once per week) of placebo ultrasound guided percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation targeting the axillar and suprascapular nerve. The electrical current will be off and no electrical current will be provided to the patient. In addition, they will receive the same program of exercises for the shoulder than the experimental group for three weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Exercise

Other: Placebo Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation

Exercise

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants assigned to this group will receive the same program of exercises for the shoulder than the remaining groups for three weeks.

Treatment:

Other: Exercise