[Not Available].

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of thoracic spinal manipulation (SM) on shoulder pain and ranges of motion in individuals with shoulder pain.

Methods: The sample was composed of 60 individuals, randomly allocated into the manipulation group (n = 30), who received the SM, and the placebo group (n = 30) who received a placebo manipulation. Pain evaluation was performed using the visual analog scale, and evaluation of shoulder flexion and abduction ranges of motion was assessed using a goniometer pre- and post-intervention. The intervention was performed by either upper thoracic SM or a placebo manipulation.

Results: The manipulation group demonstrated increased flexion and abduction of the painful shoulder ( < .01) and increased abduction of the nonpainful shoulder ( = .03), but only the abduction of the painful shoulder reached the minimal detectable change. The placebo group showed a post-intervention increase in the flexion ( = .03) and abduction ( < .01) movement of the painful shoulder. Both groups presented a statistically significant reduction in post-intervention pain ( < .01), but not clinically significant.

Conclusion: Although the SM demonstrated a statistically significant difference for shoulder pain, this was not over the clinically meaningful change. Only the abduction of the painful shoulder reached the minimal detectable change.