Abstract

Objective: to determine the effectiveness of individual physiotherapy versus group physiotherapy in subacromial impingement syndrome. Material and method: a randomized controlled trial was performed in the Rehabilitation Service of Araba University Hospital. Participants: between April 2010 and October 2013, 89 patients were recruited. Patients with luxation, history of surgery or bone disease were excluded. Participants were randomized to individual or group physiotherapy, over a 3-month study period. Interventions: individual physiotherapy consisted of specific physical exercises, and manual physical therapy based on shoulder joint mobilisation and re-centering. Group physiotherapy (control group) was performed in groups of 6 patients who were supervised performing the same set of exercises. Measurements: pain was measured with visual analogue scale and mobility (joint range of motion) was measured with goniometer at the start, at the end of physiotherapy and 3 months after. Results: three months after physiotherapy, patients of individual group improved external rotation in 10º (0.26 points) (p < 0.05) while control group has almost no improvement (1º) (p > 0.05). The rest of movements studied improved similarly in both groups and no statistically significant differences were found between groups. In both groups reduction of pain was found, not only at the end of physiotherapy (5.45 individual and 4.39 group, p < 0.05) but also 3 months after 6.10 individual and 6.42 group, p < 0.05). Neither differences between groups were found regarding pain reduction. Conclusion: external rotation improved significantly with individual therapy, unlike with group therapy. Other types of movements studied and pain improved similarly in the two groups.