Effects of Therapeutic Massage and Home Exercise Program on Pain, Range of Motion, Depression, and Quality of Life after Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study examined the effects of therapeutic massage (TMP) and home exercise program (HEP) on pain, range of motion (ROM), depression, and quality of life (QOL) after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in middle-aged women. @*Methods@#Nineteen middle-aged women who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were enrolled in the study. All subjects were assigned randomly to the experimental group (n=9) or the control group (n=10). The subjects in both groups performed HEP for 30 minutes, three times per day, for eight weeks. The subjects in the experimental group also performed HEP, with TMP being performed for 30 minutes, 16 sessions for eight weeks. All subjects were evaluated with a visual analogue scale (VAS), shoulder ROM, self-rating depression scale (SDS), and Korean brief version of WHO quality of life scale (WHOQOL-BREF). A paired t-test was performed to test the significant differences between before and after the intervention. An independent t-test was conducted to test the significant differences between the groups. @*Results@#Following the intervention, both groups showed significant differences than before the intervention in the VAS, shoulder ROM, SDS, and WHOQOL-BREF (p<0.05). There were significant differences in the ROM of shoulder flexion, SDS, and WHOQOL-BREF between the groups (p<0.05). @*Conclusion@#These findings suggest that intensive TMP is an effective method for improving shoulder flexion mobility, depressive symptom, and QOL in middle-aged women after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.