Comparison of four physical therapy, massage therapy, mechanotherapy and compound programs on rotator cuff muscles in patients suffered from shoulder impingement syndrome

The continuous use of hand over the head causes the pressure and load in the long run and disposes the s houlder impingement syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of selected treatment methods in terms of the difference in improvement rate and duration of treatment on shoulder impingement syndrome of volleyball players and to provide an effective treatment protocol. In this study 60 Volleyball players suffering from shoulder impingement syndrome, were selected and divided into four groups including physical therapy (17), massage therapy (15), mechanotherapy (14) and compound group (14). For continuing the treatment programs outside the clinic, the housing program and immune recommendations in work and sport environment were used. MRI or Magnetic resonance imaging, Special Clinical Tests, and the rotator cuff muscles EMG were used for evaluation of the 4 research programs. The correlated T-test was used for evaluation of programs in pretest and posttest, and the ANOVA test and the Turkey’s post hoc test were used for determining a significant distance between groups in a level of p<0.05. Compound program had more significant results. In none of physical domains of AB, FL, EX and IR the significant difference between the 4 physical therapy, massage therapy, mechanotherapy and compound program was observed, but compound program in ER movement was significantly more effective (p<0.011). Supraspinatus muscle in compound program, then in physical therapy had the lower reaction time comparing to the other groups (p<0.037). Teres minor was evicted from the measuring system due to its higher depth and lower performance among the rotator cuff muscles. Compound therapeutic program had the better therapeutic effects on the increasing of physical range of rotator cuff muscles especially the Supraspinatus muscle.