The effects of core stabilization training in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome: a single-blind randomized controlled study.
Eren Özen, Melike Sümeyye Özen, Ebru Kaya Mutlu
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In 30 seconds
This single-blind randomized controlled study evaluated whether adding core stabilization training (CST) to standard rehabilitation improved outcomes in 44 patients with subacromial impingement syndrome. Participants received CST plus standard rehabilitation or standard rehabilitation alone for 12 weeks. Both groups improved over time, while group-by-time analyses favored CST for rest pain (p = 0.006), activity pain (p = 0.035), upper extremity function (p < 0.001), and core stability (p < 0.01). CST did not provide additional benefit for shoulder muscle strength compared with standard rehabilitation.
Key findings
- Group-by-time differences favored CST for rest pain (p = 0.006) and activity pain (p = 0.035).
- Upper extremity function improved more with CST than with standard rehabilitation alone (p < 0.001).
- Core stability outcomes favored CST (p < 0.01), but shoulder muscle strength did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05).
Why it matters
The findings suggest that rehabilitation addressing core stability may improve pain and upper extremity function in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome, beyond changes seen with standard rehabilitation alone. The absence of an additional strength benefit indicates that effects may differ across outcome domains. These results add randomized evidence to the evaluation of CST as an adjunctive rehabilitation approach.
What to keep in mind
The study included 44 patients and followed outcomes over 12 weeks; longer-term effects are not reported in the abstract.