Does Shoulder Rehab Have to Hurt? A Randomized Trial of Exercise Into Pain

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who deliver exercise-based care for chronic shoulder pain, along with athletic trainers, occupational therapists and other rehabilitation clinicians who field the question of how much pain is acceptable during shoulder exercise.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in outpatient orthopedic, sports and primary care settings.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Introductory

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

This course is based on one source document, and every finding, figure and conclusion in it traces back to that document.

Cavaggion C, Luque-Suarez A, Voogt L, Juul-Kristensen B, Wollants G, Beke L, Fransen E, Struyf F. Exercise into Pain in Chronic Rotator Cuff-Related Shoulder Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial with 6-Month Follow-Up. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 2024;15:181–196. doi:10.2147/OAJSM.S483272. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04553289.

The trial was funded by the Research Foundation Flanders, which the authors reported had no involvement in interpretation, writing, or the decision to publish. The authors reported no conflicts of interest. Where the authors described uncertainty or named a limit on their own conclusion, this course reports that uncertainty rather than smoothing it over.

Up next: the audio lesson, which walks through the trial end to end.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the population, the two exercise conditions and the follow-up period used in this randomized controlled trial of exercise into pain for chronic rotator cuff-related shoulder pain.
2. State what the trial found on its primary shoulder pain and disability outcome and on pain intensity, fear-related beliefs, quality of life, strength and range of motion across six months.
3. Explain the limits the authors placed on their own conclusion, including the absence of a control group and the narrow slice of screened patients who entered the trial.

1. Start Here: how this course works and what the source is
2. Podcast: Does Shoulder Rehab Have to Hurt? (about eight minutes)
3. Who Was Studied and Why the Pain Question Was Asked
4. How the Trial Was Run: Two Groups, Nine Sessions, Four Measurement Points
5. What the Trial Found Over Six Months
6. What the Authors Said Their Trial Could Not Settle
7. What This Could Mean at the Treatment Table
8. Key Takeaways
9. Post-test and course evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 0.5 contact hours (30 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. This course is based on one source document, and every finding, figure and conclusion in it traces back to that document.
2. Cavaggion C, Luque-Suarez A, Voogt L, Juul-Kristensen B, Wollants G, Beke L, Fransen E, Struyf F. Exercise into Pain in Chronic Rotator Cuff-Related Shoulder Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial with 6-Month Follow-Up. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine. 2024;15:181–196. doi:10.2147/OAJSM.S483272. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04553289.
3. The trial was funded by the Research Foundation Flanders, which the authors reported had no involvement in interpretation, writing, or the decision to publish. The authors reported no conflicts of interest. Where the authors described uncertainty or named a limit on their own conclusion, this course reports that uncertainty rather than smoothing it over.
4. Up next: the audio lesson, which walks through the trial end to end.