A systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy of exercise therapy for the rehabilitation of rotator cuff-related shoulder pain: a subgroup analysis of racquet sport athletes.

Study Summary

8 RCTs, including 417 participants with rotator cuff-related shoulder pain (RCRSP), were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis comparing exercise therapy with conventional treatment or alternative rehabilitation interventions. The primary pooled outcome was shoulder pain, measured using the visual analogue scale (VAS), with subgroup analyses examining racquet sport athletes and other populations. Overall, exercise therapy did not significantly improve pain compared with control interventions. However, exercise therapy was associated with significantly greater pain reduction among racquet sport athletes. These findings suggested that exercise therapy may offer population-specific benefits, although substantial heterogeneity limited the certainty of the subgroup findings.