Introduction Exercise is an effective intervention for rotator cuff related shoulder pain (RCRSP). Self-report methods of exercise adherence are subject to bias. The BandCizer™ is a resistance band mounted device offering objective measurement of adherence. It is valid and reliable for measuring exercise quality (time-under-tension (TUT)) and quantity (number of repetitions) (Rathleff et al., 2013a and b). The aim was to objectively evaluate adherence (repetitions and TUT) to an exercise intervention for RCRSP, and compare with self-report diaries.

Materials and Methods Ethical approval was obtained.

Adults (≥18 years old) with RCRSP (≥6 weeks) were eligible for inclusion. All participants provided written informed consent before being prescribed a 6 week home exercise programme. Participants were instructed to complete exercises daily, doing 10 repetitions per set with TUT of 8 s per repetition. Participants completed the NRS(pain) and SPADI questionnaire at baseline and 6 weeks.

Results 17 participants were eligible, with 11 participant data sets included in the analysis. There was on average 52% adherence to the prescribed TUT. The adherence to repetitions was superior at 76%, comparable to self-reported adherence (79%). Half (6/11) of the participants reported changes in pain and disability scores which exceeded the minimal detectable change.

Conclusion The BandCizer™ was effective in quantifying adherence to TUT and repetitions, with poor adherence to TUT noted. Despite varied adherence, the intervention still produced significant changes in pain and disability. These findings support the need for further research examining parameters of exercise dosage in relation to patient outcomes in RCRSP.