Effect of extracorpeal shock wave combined with functional exercise on rotator cuff injury

Objective To evaluate the effect of extracorpeal shock wave (ESW) combined with functional exercise on rotator cuff injury. Methods Sixty-two patients with rotator cuff disease were randomly divided into two groups:ESW group and exercise group. Patients in exercise group daily underwent functional exercise while ESW combined with exercise was applied in ESW group.The visual analog scale (VAS) and Constant and Murley score (CMS) were collected at baseline 4 weeks and 12 weeks. Results The VAS and CMS score in both two groups improved significantly compared with baseline. And the VAS score in ESW group were significantly lower than that of exercise group at 4 weeks (3.06±1.74 vs 4.62±1.94, P=0.002). Similarly, the CMS score were significantly higher at 4 weeks (63.56±8.51 vs 54.72±8.92, P=0.001). Conclusion ESW combined with exercise can significantly release the pain and improve the function of affected shoulder and we suggest that it can be recommended as an regular treatment for rotator cuff disease.