BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown an influence of psychological stress on pain modulation and tissue healing. The extension of patient care by including psychological factors to the known biopsychosocial model therefore complex demands on the treating therapists. Objective: Examination of the influence of heart rate variability-based lifestyle coaching on the influence of functional limitations and pain perception in patients with subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS). Analyzing of the feasibility for this study-design. METHOD: 15 subjects were randomized into 2 groups. The intervention group received lifestyle coaching in addition to the exercise-therapy intervention of the control group. The control parameters were the SPADI-score (SPADI), maximum pain (NRSmax), high frequency (HF), low frequency (LF), Lf/Hf ratio (LF/HF), root mean square of successive difference (Rmssd) and the standard deviation NN (Sdnn). With regard to feasibility, possible disruptive factors, optimization options and an adequate sample size were determined. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in the variables of the SPADI-score, SPADI (95% CI -59.3 to -4.6; p = 0,026; d = -1.5), NRSmax (95% CI -5.5 to -0.1; p = 0.042; d = -1.35) and the HRV measured value HF (95% CI 505.3 to 1753,3; p = 0.002; d = 2.23) compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: This study is feasible and suitable for follow-up studies with larger sample size. Adjustments in the randomization and the assessments used here should be made for this. For the results to be valid, the sample size was determined to be n = 66. The evaluation of the clinical parameters indicates an increase in parasympathetic activity (HF) with a correlating reduction in SPADI and NRSmax. The latter can be assessed as having a potentially positive effect on function and pain reduction in the intervention group.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PDF locator
• publisher