Table 1. Characteristics of included studies.

First author and year	Study design	Participants			Interventions				Compari-sons	Outcomes/Method	Total risk-of-bias score
		Total N (eN/cN)	Mean of age	% of female	Type	Location	N. of session/Min.	Follow -up
Choi 2004	NRCT	58 (30,28)	75.2	74.1	Kyongrak massage	Cervical spine	5/10	-	No treatment	Flexion, abduction, external rotation/Goniometry	5
Dyson-Hudson 2001	RCT	18 (9,9)	45.1	22.2	Manual pressure release	Shoulder, upper extremities	10/45	5 wk	Acupunc-ture	Flexion, abduction/Goniometry	9
Kim 2016	RCT	6 (3,3)	50.0	0.0	Sports massage, hot pack	Neck, shoulder, back	36/20	-	Hot pack	Flexion, extension, abduction, internal rotation, external rotation/Goniometry	7
Park 2016	NRCT	30 (15,15)	49.6	100.0	Sports massage	Shoulder	12/30	-	No treatment	Flexion, extension, abduction, internal rotation, external rotation/ Goniometry	7
Son 2013	NRCT	16 (8,8)	56.5	NR	Sports massage, physical therapy	Shoulder	36/40	-	Physical therapy	Flexion, extension, abduction, internal rotation, external rotation/ Goniometry	6
van den Dolder 2003	RCT	29 (15,14)	64.0	31.0	Soft tissue massage	Shoulder	6/15–20	-	No treatment	Flexion, abduction/Photography	10
van den Dolder 2015	RCT	80 (40,40)	62.6	52.5	Soft tissue massage, exercise	Shoulder, back	7/10–15	12 wk	Exercise	Flexion, abduction/ Photography	11

RCT: randomized controlled trials; NRCT: non- randomized controlled trials; NR: not reported; eN: experimental number; cN: control number; Exercise: an individualized shoulder exercise program