Comparing the Effects of SUREE Programs on People With Scapular Downward Rotation Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

CONTEXT: Scapular downward rotation syndrome (SDRS) is an impaired alignment that causes shoulder and neck pain. Interventions may lead to the reduction of pain intensity and joint position error (JPE) and improved range of motion (ROM). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of 6-week Scapular Upward Rotation and Elevation Exercises (SUREE) with and without visual feedback on pain, ROM, and JPE in people with SDRS. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized control trial. SETTING: Institutional practice. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-two young and active subjects (22.61 [1.80] y; 27 males and 15 females) with unilateral SDRS randomly assigned into 3 groups (2 intervention groups and 1 control group). INTERVENTIONS: SUREE without and with visual feedback programs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain, neck-flexion and rotation ROMs, and JPE were measured using visual analog scale (score), double inclinometer method, universal goniometer method (degrees), and a dual digital inclinometer (degrees), respectively, before and after interventions. RESULTS: The results showed statistically significant changes within the experimental groups in all variables except for the neck rotation ROM in the SUREE intervention without visual feedback (P < .05). However, there were no changes in the control group before and after the interventions in all dependent variables (P < .05). Also, there were no significant differences between both experimental groups concerning all dependent variables except for the rotation ROM (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the 6-week SUREE with and without visual feedback programs result in decreased neck pain and improved flexion ROM and JPE during active neck motions in subjects with unilateral SDRS. However, the 6-week SUREE with visual feedback may improve the neck rotation ROM in subjects with unilateral SDRS. However, further studies are needed to confirm the results of this study.

Comparison of the effects of sensorimotor training programs on pain, electromyography and kinematics in patients with scapular downward rotation syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: Comparison of the effects of six weeks sensorimotor and sensorimotor with passive interventions programs on pain, electromyography (EMG) and kinematics in patients with scapular downward rotation syndrome (SDRS). DESIGN: Randomized Controlled Trial. SETTING: Institutional practice. PARTICIPANTS: 140 active subjects with unilateral SDRS were randomized to three groups. Group one received sensorimotor (n = 46), group two received sensorimotor with passive interventions (n = 48), and group three received active self-exercise as a control group (n = 46). Pain, EMG of the levator scapula (LS), upper trapezius (UT), lower trapezius (LT), and serratus anterior (SA), as well as kinematics were measured at the baseline and after the interventions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome: Pain - Secondary outcomes: EMG and kinematics. RESULTS: There were significant between-group differences between intervention groups one and two in pain, LS and SA onset activation favoring group two and LS muscle activity favoring group one. There were significant within-group changes in almost all dependent variables except LT muscle onset activation in both groups one and two. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of passive interventions on the scapula and neck may be superior to conservative training alone on the scapula and neck for improving neck pain, EMG and kinematics in participants with SDRS.