Table 2.

Key themes for physical therapy interventions (n = 14).

Theme	Physical therapy intervention described	Quantitative studya (LR, CC, DS)a
Therapeutic Modalities	Acute modalities	0 (1)
	Ultrasound with a frequency of 1 MHz or 3 MHz and intensity of 1.0 W/cm2 −1.5 W/cm2 to the LHBT tendon and/or biceps brachii muscle	3 (0)
	ESWT to the most seriously affected tendon and sheath areas (visualized by ultrasound)	2 (0)
	Electrotherapy (interferential current) to anterior shoulder region	1 (0)
	Polarized light	1 (0)
	Low level laser therapy	1 (0)
	Heat to anterior shoulder region	1 (0)
	Ice	0 (4)
Manual Therapy	Joint mobilization or non-thrust manipulation (glenohumeral, acromioclavicular, and sternoclavicular joints)	1 (3)
	Joint mobilization or non-thrust manipulation (cervical and thoracic spine)	0 (1)
	Thrust manipulation (thoracic spine and cervicothoracic junction)	0 (1)
	Soft tissue techniques (biceps brachii, rotator cuff, periscapular, scapular muscles, and the cervical region)	0 (1)
Dry Needling	Dry needling to painful or thickened areas of the tendon based on palpation or the biceps brachii muscle	1 (2)
Exercise	Eccentric muscle training using manual or mechanical resistance (biceps brachii muscle)	2 (3)
	Stretching (biceps brachii muscle/tendon)	1 (3)
	Stretching (pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, upper trapezius, latissimus dorsi, posterior rotator cuff, and glenohumeral medial rotator muscles)	0 (3)
	Strengthening exercises (shoulder and/or scapular region)	1 (6)
	Progressive resistance exercises (latissimus dorsi, deltoid, biceps brachii, middle and lower trapezius, serratus anterior, rhomboid major and minor, rotator cuff medial and lateral rotator muscles)	0 (3)
	Open/closed kinetic chain exercises (rotator cuff muscles, scapular stabilizers, biceps brachii muscles)	0 (1)
	Task specific functional activities (reaching, lifting, overhead activity, occupation specific, sport specific)	0 (3)
	Range of motion exercises in pain-free range	1 (3)
Education	General advice on activity modification	0 (6)
	Patient education (occupation modification, training/loading modification, medication, physical therapy treatment plan, pain neuroscience education, LHBT pathoanatomy, postural control)	0 (1)
	Cognitive behavioral therapy	0 (1)
Physical Therapy	General recommendation for “physical therapy” as an approach to treatment	0 (5)

^aValues are n.

Abbreviations: rESWT, radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy; LHBT, long head of the biceps tendon; LR, literature review; CC, clinical commentary; DS, Delphi Study.