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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Biomechanics
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1560597
This article is part of the Research Topic Enhancing Sports Injury Management through Medical-Engineering Innovations View all 5 articles
Specific Modes of Exercise to Improve Rotator cuff-Related Shoulder Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Provisionally accepted
Chun Zeng *
Dianxuan Wu 
Zhicheng Wen 
Haolin Ke 
Jie-xin Zhang 
Shaozi Zhong Jiachen Teng 
Jintao Li *
Yan Shao *- Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Objective: To investigate the effect of specific modes of exercise on rotator cuff-related shoulder pain (RCRSP) patients, aiming to provide a theoretical reference for conservative treatment and exercise prescription.Methods: Data sources included PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and CNKI, covering studies from database inception to June 2024. Study selection followed pre-set inclusion/exclusion criteria. Cochrane methods guided quality assessment and data extraction. Outcome measures included VAS, CMS, and DASH scores. Publication bias assessed via funnel plots; forest plots created using RevMan 5.4. Results: 13 studies (n=690) met inclusion criteria for RCRSP exercise interventions. It’s indicated that: (1) specific exercises led to modest improvements in performance of pain (SMD=-0.31, 95% CI: -0.46 to -0.16, P<0.0001) and function, with enhancements in CMS (SMD=0.59, 95% CI: 0.44 to 0.74, P<0.00001) and DASH (SMD=-0.60, 95% CI: -0.80 to -0.39, P<0.00001). (2) Interventions lasting less than 2 months were slightly more effective than those lasting 2 months or longer, observed in VAS (SMD=-0.35, 95% CI: -0.56 to -0.15, P=0.0007), CMS (SMD=0.71, 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.96, P<0.00001), and DASH (SMD=-0.71, 95% CI: -0.99 to -0.43, P<0.00001). (3) Subgroup analyses revealed that handgrip strength exercises enhanced shoulder pain relief, shoulder mobilization/stretching improved both function and pain levels over 2 months, scapular stabilization exercise improved pain and DASH performance over 2 months, eccentric exercises boosted CMS and DASH performance over 2 months, while proprioceptive exercises showed no significant improvement in pain or CMS performance. Conclusion: Compared to non-specific exercises, specific exercise programs moderately alleviate RCRSP symptoms, with shorter interventions (＜2 months) demonstrating marginally superior outcomes. Efficacy varies by exercise type, emphasizing the need for individualized prescriptions. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42024550602).
Keywords: Exercise Therapy, Specific exercise, Chronic sports injuries, rotator cuff-related shoulder pain, Meta-analysis
Received: 14 Jan 2025; Accepted: 24 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zeng, Wu, Wen, Ke, Zhang, Zhong, Teng, Li and Shao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Chun Zeng, Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Jintao Li, Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Yan Shao, Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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