The rotator cuff tendon rupture is one of the most common pain, malfunction, weakness, instability and other movement variation causes in adults nowadays. It is estimated that between 4% and 32% of the population might be affected by it; and its prevalence rises with the age increase, especially after 50.
The rotator cuff surgical suture intervention has become a good tool to improve both the pain and its functionality. The stiffness though, is one of the side effects that may appear.
Different studies made about shoulder water rehabilitation show that the aquatic environment is a perfect way to improve joint balance. Furthermore, water characteristics make it a safe environment to work in early stages after a surgical intervention in a shoulder, it also allows to work with more functional movements as they can be done in the three spatial planes.
The proposal of this early, intensive and complementary rehabilitation protocol after a rotator cuff surgical suture is aimed to a quick joint balance improvement, to avoid stiffness appearance after the intervention. To fulfil this goal the protocol suggests extending the length of the water sessions as well as the number of sessions per week.
This Delphi study will validate the proposed protocol for the early and complementary water recovery. The validated protocol will be of use as a guide for other researches that might be performed in the future in order to give scientific support to the rehabilitation within the water environment.