Introduction: Subacromial impingement syndrome is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain and accounts for approximately 40−65 % of shoulder-related complaints. It is characterized by pain, a sensation of clicking or catching in the shoulder joint, reduced range of motion, and decreased functional ability of the upper limb. Treatment may be surgical or conservative. Conservative management typically includes therapeutic exercise, manual therapy and other physiotherapy approaches. Manual therapy is most often used as an adjunct to therapeutic exercise. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis was to review and analyse the effects of manual therapy in the treatment of subacromial impingement syndrome. The aim was to present findings from the literature and, based on the analysis of studies, evaluate the effectiveness of manual therapy in reducing pain and improving range of motion and shoulder function. Methods: Literature for this thesis was searched in the PubMed, PEDro and Research Gate databases. Studies published in English after 2007 were included in the review. Results: The results of most studies showed statistically significant reductions in pain, improvements in range of motion, and functional ability within all groups (p < 0.005). In some studies, statistically significant differences in favour of the experimental groups were also found for pain reduction, improvements in range of motion, and functional ability. In addition, clinically significant improvements in outcome measures (pain, range of motion, functional ability) were reported in several studies both within groups and between groups. Discussion and conclusion: Manual therapy may contribute to greater or faster improvements in functional outcomes, particularly when used as an adjunct to therapeutic exercise. Further research using similar manual therapy techniques, comparable intervention durations, standardized outcome measures, and longer follow-up periods is needed to enable a more precise comparison of treatment effects.
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