• Hainan Yu, Pierre Côté, Heather M Shearer, Jessica J Wong, Deborah A Sutton, Kristi A Randhawa, Sharanya Varatharajan, Danielle Southerst, Silvano A Mior, Arthur Ameis, Maja Stupar, Margareta Nordin, Gabreille M van der Velde, Linda Carroll, Craig L Jacobs, Taylor-Vaisey Anne L AL A.L. Taylor-Vaisey, MLS, UOIT-CMCC Centre for the Study of Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation., Sean Abdulla, and Yaadwinder Shergill.
• H. Yu, MBBS, MSc, UOIT-CMCC Centre for the Study of Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and Division of Graduate Education and Research, CMCC. Mailing address: UOIT-CMCC Centre for the Study of Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation, 6100 Leslie St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M2H 3J1. Hainan.Yu@uoit.ca.
• Phys Ther. 2015 Mar 1; 95 (3): 306-18.

BackgroundShoulder pain is a common musculoskeletal condition in the general population. Passive physical modalities are commonly used to treat shoulder pain. However, previous systematic reviews reported conflicting results.PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of passive physical modalities for the management of soft tissue injuries of the shoulder.Data SourcesMEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from January 1, 1990, to April 18, 2013.Study SelectionRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort and case-control studies were eligible. Random pairs of independent reviewers screened 1,470 of 1,760 retrieved articles after removing 290 duplicates. Twenty-two articles were eligible for critical appraisal. Eligible studies were critically appraised using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network criteria. Of those, 11 studies had a low risk of bias.Data ExtractionThe lead author extracted data from low risk of bias studies and built evidence tables. A second reviewer independently checked the extracted data.Data SynthesisThe findings of studies with a low risk of bias were synthesized according to principles of best evidence synthesis. Pretensioned tape, ultrasound, and interferential current were found to be noneffective for managing shoulder pain. However, diathermy and corticosteroid injections led to similar outcomes. Low-level laser therapy provided short-term pain reduction for subacromial impingement syndrome. Extracorporeal shock-wave therapy was not effective for subacromial impingement syndrome but provided benefits for persistent shoulder calcific tendinitis.LimitationsNon-English studies were excluded.ConclusionsMost passive physical modalities do not benefit patients with subacromial impingement syndrome. However, low-level laser therapy is more effective than placebo or ultrasound for subacromial impingement syndrome. Similarly, shock-wave therapy is more effective than sham therapy for persistent shoulder calcific tendinitis.© 2015 American Physical Therapy Association.

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