Can a phone app replace physical therapy for shoulder pain?
NCT ID NCT07536009
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compares a home-based digital rehab program to standard in-person physical therapy for people with shoulder pain (subacromial impingement). About 82 adults will be randomly assigned to either a 12-24 week digital program using a smartphone or computer, or conventional in-person therapy. The goal is to see if the digital option works just as well for improving shoulder function and reducing pain.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- digital physical therapy (telerehabilitation) delivered via a smartphone, tablet, or computer
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a convenient, effective home-based alternative to in-person physical therapy for shoulder pain, making treatment more accessible.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial (82 people) comparing two approaches, not testing a new drug. The digital program may not work as well as in-person therapy for everyone, and results may not apply to all patients.
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 82 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Apr 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a government body.
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: * Men and women aged 18 years or older. * Diagnosis of Subacromial Impingement Syndrome (SIS) based on clinical criteria (pain with overhead activities, painful arc, positive Neer, Hawkins, or Jobe test). Radiological confirmation (ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance imaging) is accepted. * Access to the internet and a device (smartphone, tablet, or computer) capable of running the telerehabilitation platform. * Willingness and ability to provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Shoulder pain caused by fractures, tumors, infections, or severe systemic pathologies. * Previous surgery on the affected shoulder within the last 3 months. * Prior joint injection (corticosteroid infiltration) in the affected shoulder within the last 3 months. * Subjects with partial or full-thickness rotator cuff tears. * Patients currently receiving concurrent physical therapy (PT) or any other external interventions for the shoulder condition. * Current participation in another rehabilitation or exercise program. * Pregnancy. * Cognitive impairment, communication barriers, or any condition that prevents the patient from following the remote instructions.
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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 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.
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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