The main exclusion criterion was shoulder
pain that was deemed not to be musculoskeletal in
origin. Other exclusion criteria were any medicalcondition that would exclude the patient from physiotherapy
treatment, active inflammatory disease,
infection, cancer, neuromuscular disorders and fractures
around the shoulder. The participants were also
screened for involvement of the cervical spine that
may have contributed to the shoulder condition and
excluded if there was evidence of cervical spine referral
of pain to the shoulder. A physiotherapist who holds a
post-graduate Sports physiotherapy degree and has
greater than 15 years clinical experience performed all
screening examinations.