Tendinopathy of rotator cuff tendons (shoulder muscle tendons), is a very common cause of pain in the shoulder (50-85% of diagnoses). A person will usually present with a loss of shoulder function and pain. Acute (< 4 weeks) rotator cuff tendinopathy is usually dominated by an inflammatory component.

A study compared two interventions, cryotherapy(ice) and rest from aggravating activities vs. gradual tendon reloading in acute rotator cuff tendinopathy at two weeks and again at six weeks after start of interventions. Interesting enough, both groups showed a statistically significant improvement in function and decrease in pain it was concluded that there was no difference in the short-term benefits of choosing one approach over the other. It is important to note however, that both groups started with a graduated rehabilitation programme after the first two weeks.

Thus, this study only confirmed that cryotherapy had no benefit over only using gradual reloading and vice versa in the first two weeks since onset of tendinopathy. Therefore, rehabilitation still plays an important role in the treatment of tendinopathies.

If you suffer from newly onset/chronic shoulder pain, visit one of our physiotherapists for a complete shoulder evaluation and a treatment plan that is individualized for you.

Reference: Dupuis, F., Barrett, E., Dubé, M.O., McCreesh, K.M., Lewis, J.S. and Roy, J.S., 2018. Cryotherapy or gradual reloading exercises in acute presentations of rotator cuff tendinopathy: a randomised controlled trial. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 4(1), p.e000477.

Image: Google images

Posted by: Ilse van Vuuren