Could exercise replace the scalpel for shoulder arthritis?
NCT ID NCT07744542
First seen Aug 04, 2026 · Last updated Aug 05, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether a 12-week program of physical therapy or home exercises can reduce pain and improve shoulder function in adults with glenohumeral arthritis, compared with no treatment. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups: supervised physical therapy, a home exercise program, or a delay in conservative treatment. The study measures pain levels and shoulder function using standard scores to see if exercise offers a meaningful benefit.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Physical therapy and home exercise programs
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could establish physical therapy as a proven way to ease shoulder arthritis pain and improve function, potentially delaying or avoiding surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial, and results may not apply to everyone. Physical therapy might not provide significant relief for all participants, and some may still need surgery.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 125 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patient diagnosed with glenohumeral arthritis * Patient \> 18 years of age (adults) * Patient provided written informed consent for study participation with IRB approved consent form * Patient is willing and able to comply with scheduled clinical and radiographic evaluations and physical therapy regimen Exclusion Criteria: * -Have had corticosteroid injections in the affected shoulder(s) within 6 weeks of starting physical therapy. * Those that have glenohumeral arthritis that is inflammatory, post traumatic or related to rotator cuff tear arthropathy in nature * Have avascular necrosis of the glenohumeral joint * Have failed a course of 6 weeks of physical therapy within the last year * Have had surgery on the symptomatic shoulder in the past year * Daily use of opioid (excluding tramadol or codeine). * Have dementia * Currently in a physical therapy program for more than 2 weeks * Have planned total shoulder arthroplasty in the next 6 months. * Live in a nursing home * Additionally special populations listed below such as pregnant women, and prisoners will be excluded.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UBMD Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine
Buffalo, New York, 14221-2108, United States
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