Can radiofrequency energy heal a painful shoulder tendon?
NCT ID NCT07794033
First seen Aug 31, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This trial tests whether TECAR therapy, which uses capacitive and resistive energy to heat deep tissues, can improve tendon thickness, reduce pain, and restore shoulder movement in people with supraspinatus tendinitis. Researchers will compare TECAR therapy to conventional physiotherapy in 50 adults aged 18 to 65 with chronic shoulder pain on their dominant side. The study measures changes in tendon thickness and subacromial space using ultrasound, along with pain, strength, and function. The goal is to see if this technology offers a better way to manage this common shoulder condition.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- TECAR therapy (capacitive and resistive energy transfer) compared with conventional physiotherapy
- What this could lead to
- If TECAR therapy works, it could offer a non-invasive option to reduce pain and improve shoulder function in people with supraspinatus tendinitis.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with 50 participants, so results may not apply broadly. TECAR therapy may not outperform standard physiotherapy, and individual responses can vary.
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 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2027
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 to 65 years
- 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.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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. Fifty patients with chronic supraspinatus tendinitis on the dominant side. 2. Patients with age range from 18 to 65 years old from both genders. 3. Patients reporting positive empty can test. 4. patients reporting pain with resisted isometric abduction. 5. Patients experiencing shoulder pain for at least 4 weeks. 6. patients reporting pain with active shoulder elevation in the scapular plane. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients with shoulder surgery or trauma in the past 6 months will be excluded. 2. Patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears, fractures, or severe osteoarthritis will be excluded. 3. Patients with systemic diseases affecting tendon healing (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis) will be excluded. 4. Patients who were pregnant or breastfeeding will be excluded. 5. Patients currently receiving other shoulder therapies that could affect outcomes will be excluded. 6. Patients with frozen shoulder will be excluded. 7. Patients with glenohumeral or acromioclavicular arthritis will be excluded. 8. Patients with an implanted pacemaker 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
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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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Shireen Mohamed Mahmoud
Giza, 11432, Egypt