Effect of Psychomotricity in Combination With 3 Months of Active Shoulder Exercises in Individuals With Chronic Shoulder Pain: Primary Results From an Investigator-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Objective: To evaluate whether psychomotor therapy (PMT) in combination with usual care active exercise (AE) rehabilitation for the shoulder is superior to merely AE. Design: The trial was a single-center, stratified (by corticosteroid injection [yes or no]), randomized, and controlled superiority trial. Setting: Shoulder unit of the orthopedic department at Hospital Lillebaelt, Vejle Hospital. Participants: Eligible participants (N=87) were adults aged 18-75 years with shoulder complaints lasting for at least 3 months, in addition to a score equal to or below 3 on the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness score. Furthermore, patients had at least a visual analog scale pain score of 2 at rest, 3 at night, and 5 in activity (range: 0-10). Interventions: Patients were randomized to 12 weeks of AE (control group) or in combination with 5 PMT sessions (intervention group). Main Outcome Measure: The primary outcome was the patient-reported outcome score Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire. The primary endpoint was 12 weeks after baseline. Results: There was no between-group difference in function between the intervention group and control group. Conclusions: Our results showed no additional benefit on patient-reported function and pain from PMT over usual care in patients with long-lasting shoulder pain and low body awareness. This finding suggests that PMT adds no additional benefit to patients’ recovery in relation to pain and active function in comparison to standard care.