ArticleBMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation2026
Effects of different frequencies of percussion massage therapy on pain, range of motion, functionality, joint position sense, and quality of life in individuals with rotator cuff tears: a randomized controlled trial.
Article in BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06899945 (The Effects of Vibration Therapy at Different Frequencies on Pain, Range of Motion, Functionality, Joint Position Sense, and Quality of Life in Individuals With Rotator Cuff Syndrome), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effects of Vibration Therapy at Different Frequencies on Pain, Range of Motion, Functionality, Joint Position Sense, and Quality of Life in Individuals With Rotator Cuff Syndrome
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRotator cuff tears often cause persistent pain, limited mobility, impaired proprioception, and functional decline. While conventional physiotherapy (CT) is the standard treatment, percussion massage therapy (PMT) has emerged as a vibration-based modality that may enhance neuromuscular activation and sensorimotor function. However, optimal PMT frequency parameters remain unclear. This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of two PMT frequencies (16.7 Hz and 33 Hz), combined with CT, on pain, range of motion (ROM), joint position sense (JPS), functionality, and quality of life in individuals with partial rotator cuff tears.
methodsForty-eight adults with supraspinatus partial tears were screened, and 45 were randomized into three groups: CT (n = 15), PMT at 16.7 Hz + CT (n = 15), and PMT at 33 Hz + CT (n = 15). Interventions were applied for three weeks. Primary outcomes included JPS (60° flexion and abduction). Secondary outcomes included Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for resting and activity-related pain, active ROM in all planes, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, and Rotator Cuff Quality of Life (RC-QoL). Assessments were conducted pre- and post-intervention.
resultsAll groups showed significant improvements (p < 0.05), but both PMT groups demonstrated substantially greater gains than CT alone. The 33 Hz group showed the largest improvements, including + 71.7° flexion, + 77.0° abduction, and marked reductions in VAS-activity (r = − 0.89) and DASH (d = − 2.59). The 16.7 Hz group also improved significantly (flexion + 65.0°, abduction + 72.0°; DASH d = − 2.10). No between-group differences were observed in JPS, although all groups improved meaningfully.
conclusionsPMT at both 16.7 Hz and 33 Hz, when added to CT, significantly improved pain, ROM, functional disability, and quality of life in individuals with rotator cuff tears, outperforming CT alone. Frequency-specific differences were not evident for proprioception, suggesting that additional sensorimotor training may be needed to optimize JPS recovery. PMT appears to be a safe and effective adjunct in shoulder rehabilitation.
trial registrationProspectively registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT06899945) on 21/03/2025.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.