EMPTY CAN FOR SUBACROMIAL PAIN SYNDROME AND ISOLATED SUPRASPINATUS TESTING? The empty can (EC) test have been promoted as being able to isolate activity to supraspinatus and are therefore diagnostic of supraspinatus dysfunction. However, Boettcher et al. (2009) examined the EMG activity of 13 muscles in 15 normal subjects and found that the EC test also equally activated nine other shoulder muscles: On the other hand, Jain et al. (2017) have evaluated this test with the goal of diagnosing rotato

The “empty can” is performed with the thumbs pointed towards the ground (as if pouring liquid out from a can). The “full can” is performed in the opposite manner with the thumbs pointed towards the sky. . While the “empty can” is often used as a clinically as a test by medical professionals to rule in or out a shoulder impingement injury, suggestions to use the “empty can” as an exercise can be traced back as far as the early 1980’s. While this exercise may activate the supraspinatus just as muc

Why most shoulder assessments miss the mark 🎯 Ever run the Empty Can test and stop when it fails? 🛑 That’s where most trainers go wrong. The test alone just says something’s off. But when you tweak posture, shoulder down, back, or up, you start to diagnose functionally. In Rico’s case, raising the shoulder changed everything. 💥 No more “junk assessments.” Just clear, actionable insights that guide real correction. Because assessment should be about problem-solving, not checkbox testing. 🧩 Tr

Shoulder Assessment Series Part 9: Jobe / Empty Can Test The Jobe or Empty can test is one of the standard tests to assess for Shoulder Assessment Syndrome. You would expect it to be positive with (external) subacromial shoulder impingement syndrome and negative with internal posteriosuperior glenoid impingement according to Cools et al. (2008). The test is also used to assess a lesion of the supraspinatus tendon together with the Full Can Test. | Physiotutors