title: Effectiveness of Soft Tissue Massage for Nonspecific Shoulder Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Soft tissue massage and exercise are commonly used to treat episodes of shoulder pain.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The study objective was to compare the effects of soft tissue massage and exercise with those of exercise alone on pain, disability, and range of motion in people with nonspecific shoulder pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in public hospital physical therapy clinics in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study participants were 80 people with an average age of 62.6 years (SD=12.2) who were referred to physical therapists for treatment of nonspecific shoulder pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were randomly assigned to either a group that received soft tissue massage around the shoulder and exercises (n=40) or a group that received exercise only (n=40) for 4 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome was improvement in pain, as measured on a 100-mm visual analog scale, 1 week after the cessation of treatment. Secondary outcomes were disability and active flexion, abduction, and hand-behind-back range of motion. Measurements were obtained at baseline, 1 week after the cessation of treatment, and 12 weeks after the cessation of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The between-group difference in pain scores from the baseline to 12 weeks after the cessation of treatment demonstrated a small significant difference in favor of the group receiving exercise only (mean difference=14.7 mm). There were no significant differences between groups in any other variable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was not possible to mask therapists or participants to group allocation. Diagnostic tests were not used on participants to determine specific shoulder pathology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The addition of soft tissue massage to an exercise program for the shoulder conferred no additional benefit for improving pain, disability, or range of motion in people with nonspecific shoulder pain.
authors.affiliation: P.A. van den Dolder, PhD, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, Wollongong, Australia. Mailing address: 43 Rosewall Dr, Menai, New South Wales, 2234, Australia. pvan0651@uni.sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: van den Dolder
authors.affiliation: P.H. Ferreira, PhD, Discipline of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Paulo H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: K.M. Refshauge, PhD, Discipline of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney.
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Refshauge
mesh_terms: D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D010147:Pain Measurement; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome