A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies offers fresh insights into treating shoulder pain, specifically supraspinatus tendinitis—a condition affecting up to 20% of adults in their 30s to 50s. 

Titled The Effects of Focused Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy versus Deep Friction Massage in Supraspinatus Tendinopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial by Alireza Karimiahmadabadi, Soheil Mansour Sohani, Abbas Tabatabaei, and Ghazal Limouei (Volume 42, June 2025, Pages 823-830, DOI:(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.01.035), this research compares two widely used therapies to see which better alleviates this nagging issue.

Conducted between September 2022 and March 2023, the findings could guide anyone struggling with shoulder discomfort toward more effective relief.

What the Study Reveals About Shoulder Pain Treatments

The study focused on 32 non-professional athletes diagnosed with supraspinatus tendinitis, a common rotator cuff injury often triggered by repetitive overhead movements or aging. Participants were split into two groups: one received focused extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) paired with therapeutic exercises, while the other got deep friction massage (DFM) alongside the same exercises.

Researchers tracked results over 12 sessions and followed up a week later, measuring pain levels, pressure pain threshold (how much pressure the shoulder could handle before hurting), shoulder movement, strength, and quality of life.

Shockwave Therapy vs. Deep Friction Massage: The Results

The results were clear: both treatments helped, but shockwave therapy came out on top. Pain dropped significantly more with ESWT (p = 0.024), and the pressure pain threshold improved dramatically in the supraspinatus (p = 0.0001) and deltoid muscles (p < 0.0001). Shoulder abduction—the ability to lift the arm sideways—also saw a bigger boost with shockwave (p = 0.001). Effect sizes, a measure of how strong the improvement was, ranged from 0.84 to 2.61, showing ESWT’s high impact. 

Deep friction massage improved these areas too, but not as much. Interestingly, neither treatment made a big difference in shoulder rotation, supraspinatus strength, or overall quality of life, suggesting their benefits are more specific to pain and mobility.

Why Shockwave Therapy Stands Out for Shoulder Relief

Why does this matter? Supraspinatus tendinitis can turn everyday tasks like reaching overhead into a painful ordeal. The study highlights shockwave therapy’s edge in tackling inflammation and boosting healing, thanks to its high-energy sound waves.

Deep friction massage, while useful for tissue repair, didn’t match ESWT’s punch. This is the first trial pitting these two head-to-head for shoulder tendinopathy, making it a valuable addition to the evidence on non-surgical options.

Reference: https://www.bodyworkmovementtherapies.com/article/S1360-8592(25)00035-X/abstract