Iranian Rehabilitation Journal

en Comparative Effectiveness of Tele-Rehabilitation Versus In-Clinic Exercise Therapy for Shoulder Tendinopathy: A Prospective, Randomized, Single-Center Clinical Trial طب فیزیکی و توانبخشی Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation پژوهشي Original Research Articles Introduction: Rotator cuff tendinopathy, affecting 15-27% of adults, is a leading cause of shoulder disability with significant socioeconomic impacts. While exercise therapy remains the first-line treatment, tele-rehabilitation emerges as a potentially cost-effective alternative to clinic-based care. This study compares the efficacy of tele-rehabilitation versus in-clinic exercise therapy on pain, disability, function, and quality of life in rotator cuff tendinopathy patients. Methods: This randomized controlled trial compared tele-rehabilitation versus in-clinic exercise therapy in 40 patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy. Both groups received 10 supervised 45-minute sessions over 4 weeks, performing identical Cadman pendulum and strengthening exercises. Visual Analog Scale, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, and Brief World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) Scale Outcomes were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 2-month follow-up using Generalized Linear Mixed-Effects Model analysis. Results: Both groups demonstrated significant reduction in pain and disability (P<0.001), as well as improvements in DASH questionnaire and WHOQOL-BREF Scale (P<0.001) post-intervention and at 2-month follow-up. However, no significant difference was found between the two groups. While improvement trends were similar between groups (P>0.05), a significant time and group interaction was observed for the DASH questionnaire (P=0.008). Discussion: Both in-clinic exercise and tele-rehabilitation effectively reduce pain and disability from rotator cuff tendinopathy, improving patients' functional abilities and quality of life. Tele-rehabilitation is particularly valuable as a complementary treatment during pandemics or when access to physical therapy is limited, offering convenience, flexibility, and increased patient adherence.   Tendinopathy, Rotator Cuff, Tele-rehabilitation, Exercise Therapy, Pain 0 0 http://irj.uswr.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-670-4&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Reza Kazempour-Mofrad kazempoorreza1376@gmail.com No Clinical Biomechanics and Ergonomics Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Zahra Rezasoltani z.rezasoltani@ajaums.ac.ir No Clinical Biomechanics and Ergonomics Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Sirous Azizi s.azizi@ajaums.ac.ir No Clinical Biomechanics and Ergonomics Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Masumeh Bagherzadeh Cham masumehbagherzadeh@gmail.com No Clinical Biomechanics and Ergonomics Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Afsaneh Dadarkhah a.dadarkhah@ajaums.ac.ir Yes Clinical Biomechanics and Ergonomics Research Center, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran