Physical therapist-supervised rehabilitation with strengthening exercises of the rotator cuff and scapula stabilizers seems to be superior to home exercises focusing on mobility for improving shoulder function after arthroscopic acromioplasty, say authors of an article published online in Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Thirty-six participants entered this randomized, single-blinded, clinically controlled study; 13 of the participants in the physical therapy group and 16 in the home group fulfilled all the assessments. For 12 weeks following surgery, participants performed either supervised physical therapy or home exercises. Follow-ups were conducted periodically for 6 months after surgery to evaluate shoulder function, pain (Constant-Murley [CM]), and disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand ([DASH] scores), and health-related quality of life.

The physical therapy group exhibited significantly greater improvements in CM and DASH scores. After treatment, the between-group mean difference in CM scores was 14.2 points. At the 6-month follow-up, the between-group mean difference in DASH scores was 13.4 points.