Which shoulder therapy works best? mulligan vs PNF put to the test

NCT ID NCT07675655

Symptom relief Sponsor: Cairo University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 30, 2026 · Last updated Jul 01, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study compares two physical therapy techniques—Mulligan mobilization and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF)—added to standard care for people with subacromial impingement syndrome, a common cause of shoulder pain. Participants, aged 20 to 40, will receive one of three treatments: standard care alone, standard care plus PNF, or standard care plus Mulligan mobilization. The goal is to see which approach best improves pain, shoulder function, strength, and range of motion.

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 techniques (Mulligan mobilization and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation)
What this could lead to: If one technique proves superior, it could offer a more effective, non-surgical option for managing shoulder impingement pain and improving daily function.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-stage trial with 69 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The study compares two established therapies, so dramatic breakthroughs are unlikely.

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

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

About 69 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Sep 2025

Expected to finish

Aug 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

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

20 to 40 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Sixty nine Males and females subjects with SIS, age between 20-40 years old and body mass index (BMI) 18-27.9 kg/m2 2. The SIS group will be limited to patients who had history of shoulder pain of \>1-week duration. 3. Pain localized at the proximal anterolateral shoulder region. 4. Patients with subacromial pain syndrome with positive results of 3 of 5 tests: painful arc, pain or weakness with resisted external rotation, Neer test, Hawkins Kennedy test, and Jobe/empty can test. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients will be excluded if they had any of the following conditions: 1. Open wounds, infection, acute injuries, swelling, rheumatoid arthritis, reflex sympathetic syndrome, or adhesive capsulitis. 2. BMI greater than 28 kg/m². 3. History of shoulder girdle fractures and dislocation, shoulder surgery in the last 12 months or full thickness rotator cuff tear. 4. History of systemic or neurological disorder, cervical radiculopathy and subjects who had received physical therapy treatment for their shoulder within the past three months. 5. History of corticosteroid injection in the shoulder region less than 12 weeks previously.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Subacromial impingement syndrome are added.

Vår säkerhetsrekommendation!

Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

shoulder impingement syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Subacromial impingement syndrome

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

Open the record ↗
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.

Which shoulder therapy works best? mulligan vs PNF put to the test

What the study statuses mean