The Immediate Effects of First Rib Mobilization on Pain and Range of Motion in Patients With Shoulder Pain

Launched by ANDREWS UNIVERSITY · Jul 7, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying whether a single session of a hands-on physical therapy technique called first rib mobilization can quickly reduce pain and improve movement in people who have shoulder pain. The first rib is a bone near your neck and shoulder, and the therapy involves gentle movement to see if it helps ease discomfort and increase how far you can move your shoulder and neck. To find out if this technique really works, researchers will compare it to a “sham” treatment, which looks like the real therapy but doesn’t actually move the rib.

People who might be eligible to join are adults aged 18 to 75 who are already going to physical therapy and have moderate shoulder pain (more than 3 out of 10 on a pain scale) along with some difficulty using their arm or shoulder. Participants should not have had certain surgeries, serious injuries, or specific medical conditions, and they shouldn’t be afraid of hands-on treatment. If you take part, you will receive either the real first rib mobilization or the sham treatment during one physical therapy session. Before and after the treatment, your pain levels and how well you can move your shoulder and neck will be measured to see if there is any immediate improvement. This study could help find new ways to quickly relieve shoulder pain.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Men and Women
• • Ages 18-75 years old
• • Attending physical therapy
• • Primary complaint of shoulder pain
• • Pain intensity \>3/10 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)
• • A Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire (Quick DASH) score greater than 16% impaired
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Previous shoulder or neck surgery
• • Clinical signs of a full rotator cuff tear (positive drop arm test)
• • Having positive MRI findings of a complete rotator cuff tear
• • Having a positive Spurling's test
• • Having a steroid injection in the cervical spine and/or shoulder in the last two months
• • Having any red flags (history of cancer, upper motor neuron disorder, fractures, osteoporosis, acute inflammatory process)
• • Expressing fear/anxiety related to receiving manual therapy treatment