Can Blood Flow Restriction Therapy Improve Strength for Shoulder External Rotators Better Than Exercise Alone

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ability of blood flow restriction therapy to improve strength of shoulder muscles during the sidelying external rotation (ER) exercise versus a control group who only performs the sidelying ER exercise.

Detailed Description
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The purpose of this study is to determine if blood flow restriction (BFR) therapy is superior at increasing strength of the shoulder (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, posterior deltoid, and middle deltoid) and increasing tendon size of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus (as determined by diagnostic ultrasound) while performing the sidelying external rotation exercise compared to those who only perform the sideyling external rotation exercise without BFR. Subjects will be randomized to one of two treatment groups: exercise with BFR or exercise alone. Recruitment will be a sample of convenience consisting of healthy adults (age range 22 to 45). Subjects will perform the sidelying external rotation exercise 2 times a week for an 8 week period.

Official Title
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Can Blood Flow Restriction Therapy Improve Strength for Shoulder External Rotators Better Than Exercise Alone

Conditions
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Muscular Weakness

Intervention / Treatment
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* Device: Blood Flow Restriction


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: 1. Healthy adult (age 18 and older) with no current shoulder pathology Exclusion Criteria: Current neck, shoulder (or general upper extremity), and/or thoracic spine pathology Shoulder surgery (or general upper extremity surgery) during the prior 6-month time period Cervical/thoracic spine surgery during the prior 1 year Subject having one or more contraindications for BFR training.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 45 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Exercise with Blood Flow Restriction<br>Subjects will perform the sidelying external rotation exercise 2x a week for 8 weeks. The BFR cuff will be applied to the upper arm. Arterial occlusion will be set to 50%. Subjects will perform 4 sets (30, 15, 15, 15 reps) with a 30 sec rest period between reps. The occlusion will be maintained for the 8 min treatment period. | Device: Blood Flow Restriction<br>* Subjects will perform sidelying external rotation exercise<br>* Other names: Exercise;|
| Active Comparator: Exercise without Blood Flow Restriction<br>Subjects will perform the sidelying external rotation exercise 2x a week for 8 weeks. This group will not have BFR applied. Subjects will perform 4 sets (30, 15, 15, 15 reps) with a 30 sec rest period between reps. | Device: Blood Flow Restriction<br>* Subjects will perform sidelying external rotation exercise<br>* Other names: Exercise;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Muscular Strength as Measured by Dynamometry | Use a hand held dynamometer (MicroFet 2) to measure strength of the middle and posterior deltoid, the supraspinatus, and the infraspinatus | Change from Baseline to 8-weeks | 
| Tendon Size as Measured by Diagnostic Ultrasound | Ultrasound images are capture at pre- and post-test sessions | Change from Baseline to 8-weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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infraspinatus, external rotators, blood flow restriction