The Clinical Efficacy of Belting Stabilization for Shoulder Pain

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 1

Conditions: Rotator Cuff Impingement Syndrome

Treatments: Procedure: Stabilization belt

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00826293

224-2008

Details and patient eligibility

About

Application of a belt for stabilization while exercising accelerate and optimize recovery in patients diagnosed with shoulder impingement syndrome.

Full description

Stabilization through belts is commonly used as an adjunct for treatment of musculoskeletal problems. Although this treatment is popular among clinicians, there is a paucity of evidence on its use for shoulder pathology. The objective of this double-blinded longitudinal randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to determine the clinical efficacy of stabilization belting applied to patients receiving rehabilitation treatment for shoulder impingement syndrome. The study population will include patients who have been referred to the physiotherapy department of the Holland Orthopaedic & Arthritic Centre for conservative treatment. Patients will be randomized into the treatment and control groups. The primary outcome measure is the Quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire.

Enrollment: 64 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of impingement syndrome or post-surgical stiffness with an abnormal scapulothoracic rhythm

Exclusion criteria

• Inability to speak or read English
• Evidence of major joint trauma causing fracture
• Infection
• Underlying metabolic or inflammatory disease
• Avascular necrosis
• Frozen shoulder
• Major medical illness
• Psychiatric illness that precluded informed consent

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

64 participants in 2 patient groups

True Stabilization Group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients will be randomized to one of the two treatment groups (true stabilization vs. sham stabilization). Patients will be exercising with a belt that is expected to reduce impingement of the rotator cuff tendons.

Treatment:

Procedure: Stabilization belt

Procedure: Stabilization belt

Sham Stabilization

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Patients receive sham stabilization. The sham procedure imitates the treatment without any true effect.

Treatment:

Procedure: Stabilization belt

Procedure: Stabilization belt