Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Enhance Rehabilitation in Individuals With Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy

Interventions: movement training, strengthening, patient education. tDCS will be delivered using a direct current stimulator (constant current of 1.5 mA) via two 35cm2 (5 x 7 cm) saline-soaked surface sponge electrodes (parameters shown effective to enhance training).40 The center of the active electrode will be positioned over C3/C4 (international 10-20 EEG system; corresponding to the cortical representation of upper limb muscles)57, contralateral to the side of pain and the reference electrode over the contralateral supraorbital region. Current intensity will be ramped up (0-1.5 mA) and down (1.5-0 mA) over 15 seconds at the beginning and end of the 30 minutes stimulation period.

"Interventions: movement training, strengthening, patient education. The sham tDCS involves electrodes placed in an identical position to that used for active stimulation; however the stimulation will be turned on for 15 seconds and then off to provide participants with the initial itching sensation but without current for the remainder of the period. This procedure has been shown to effectively blind participants to the stimulation condition."