The effect of physiotherapy on the range of motion of the supraspinatus tendon

Introduction and purpose: Rotator cuff injuries are one of the most common causes of shoulder pain, and the supraspinatus muscle is more or less involved. Rotator cuff tendon rupture is the most common cause of pain and disability in the shoulder joint, especially in middle-aged and old age. Physiotherapy is considered a non-surgical or conservative treatment method in this field. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of physiotherapy in the complete rupture of the supraspinatus tendon on pain and active range of motion of the shoulder joint. Study method: ۳۰ healthy women (mean age ۲۱.۶۲±۲.۴ years) participated in this cross-sectional comparative study from April to June ۲۰۲۲. The physiotherapy treatment program of the patients included heat modalities, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation, and the exercise therapy program included three components: stretching, strengthening, and endurance exercises. Patients were evaluated in terms of range of motion in the first session, the ۲۰th session, and the end of the ۳۰th session. Discussion and conclusion: The parametric test of one-way analysis of variance within the subjects and the non-parametric test of Friedman showed a significant relationship (P<۰.۰۱) between physiotherapy and increasing the shoulder range of motion of the patients. The present study showed that physiotherapy leads to the improvement of the patient's shoulder range of motion and reduces the need for surgery. However, studies with longer follow-ups are recommended to evaluate this treatment method.