Yi Jin Bang exercise versus usual exercise therapy to treat subacromial pain syndrome: a pilot randomised controlled trial

ABSTRACT

To evaluate the effect of Yi Jin Bang (YJB) exercise on pain, disability, flexibility, and muscular endurance in individuals with subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS). Fifty-four adults with SAPS were randomly allocated into either a YJB (n = 18), a usual exercise therapy (UET; n = 18), or a control group (n = 18). YJB and UET interventions involved 10 weeks of home-based exercise training, with four sessions per week. The control group received no treatment. Outcome measures included Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), pain at rest and during activity, flexion and abduction range of motion (ROM), back scratch test, and shoulder abduction endurance test. These measures were assessed at baseline, immediately after a single face-to-face session (acute effects), and after 10 weeks of intervention (chronic effects). For acute effects, significant group-by-time interactions were observed for flexion ROM, abduction ROM, and the back scratch test (all p < 0.05). For chronic effects, significant group-by-time interactions were found for pain during activity, the SPADI score, and the back scratch test (all p < 0.05). Home-based YJB exercise is comparable to home-based UET in reducing pain and disability and improving flexibility.

KEYWORDS:

• Exercise therapy
• shoulder pain
• Yi Jin Bang

Authors’ contributions

SSH and JL contributed equally to this work. SSH and JL conceived and designed the study. SSH and BKS designed the YJB group intervention. SSH, JL, and JHW recruited participants. JL, YY, and JHW collected the data. SSH and JL analysed the data. JL wrote the first draft of the manuscript, which was critically revised by SSH and YY. All authors reviewed and approved the manuscript before submission.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the participants who volunteered for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Direct Grant for Research from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. HKD 40000