Table 3.

Description of studies analyzed in this systematic review

Authors	PEDro score	Intervention	Main study outcomes	Main results
Dejaco et al.12	7/10	36 patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy were randomly assigned to isolated eccentric exercise (n=20) vs conventional exercise (n=16). Both groups underwent a 12-week daily home-based exercise programme and received a total of 9 treatment sessions. A VAS was used to evaluate pain in participants. The Constant Murley questionnaire was used to evaluate range of motion and muscle strength.	Shoulder pain, shoulder range of motion, and isometric abduction strength in 45° in the scapular plane.	After the treatment period, there was a significant increase in the Constant Murley score and a significant decrease in VAS scores. No difference was found between the groups (p = 0.015) for any of the evaluated outcomes.
Boudreau et al.13	8/10	42 participants with rotator cuff tendinopathy were randomly assigned to scapular and rotator cuff muscle strengthening vs rotator cuff strengthening plus coactivation with pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi recruitment. The daily programs were performed at home for 6 weeks, with supervised training and 16 follow-up sessions. Functional limitations/symptoms (DASH - primary outcome - and the WORC index) and pain (VAS) were measured at baseline, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks.	Functional limitations/symptoms.	No significant group-by-time interaction was observed for the DASH questionnaire, WORC index, and VAS (p ≥ 0.55) Significant time effects were obtained for the WORC index and VAS (p < 0.001) in the intervention group. The findings show that adding glenohumeral adductor coactivation to a rotator cuff-strengthening program does not result in improved short-term efficacy in any of the outcomes. However, there may be promising results in the medium or long term.
Ingwersen et al.14	8/10	Patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy were recruited and randomized to 12 weeks of high-load exercise vs low-load exercise and stratified for concomitant administration of corticosteroid injection.	The primary outcome was change from baseline to 12 weeks in the DASH questionnaire, assessed in the intention-to-treat population.	Study results did not show superior benefit from high-load exercise over low-load exercise (p = 0.61) among patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy. Further investigation of the possible interaction between exercise type and corticosteroid injection (p = 0.28) is needed to establish the potential benefits of this combination.
Heron et al.15	7/10	120 patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy with full range of movement at the shoulder underwent 3 dynamic rotator cuff loading programmes: open chain resisted band exercises, closed chain exercises, and minimally loaded range of movement exercises.	Change in SPADI score.	All three programmes resulted in significant decreases in SPADI score; however, there were no significant differences between the groups (p = 4.0, p = 3.5, and p = 0.5).

DASH = Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand; VAS = Visual Analog Scale; PEDro = Phisiotherapy Evidence Database; SPADI = Shoulder Pain and Disability Index; WORC = Western Ontario Rotator Cuff.