To allow or avoid pain during shoulder rehabilitation exercises for patients with chronic rotator cuff tendinopathy-Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (the PASE trial)

Table 1 Overview PASE interventions

PAllow	PAvoid
Both groups receive 8 individual on-site supervised physiotherapy sessions scheduled in weeks 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 16, and 20 supplemented with daily home exercises
Pain NPRS 3–5 allowed during and after exercise	Pain NPRS ≤ 2 accepted during and after exercise
Weeks 0–26: Exercises F–K Determined to have a considerable supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendon load with EMG-measured muscle activity above 40% of MVC	Week 0–6: Exercise A–E Determined to have a minimal supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendon load with EMG-measured muscle activity below 20% of MVC
F External rotation	A Sliding
G Elevation	B Levy
H Plyometric	C Supine band
IJ Eccentric	D Extension/ rowing
K Isometric	E Level 1
Weeks 7–26: Exercise F–K	Week 7–26: Exercise F–K

See Supplementary file 3 for the specific exercises A–E. See Supplementary file 4 for the specific exercises F–K
PAllow group allowing pain during exercise, PAvoid group avoiding pain during exercise, EMG electromyography, MVC maximal voluntary contraction, NPRS numeric pain rating scale

ISSN: 1745-6215