104 consecutive patients, with unilateral shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) were randomly divided into two groups. One group received 40-mg triamcinolone acetonide subacromial corticosteroid injections (CSIs) whereas the other group participated in 6 sessions of manual physical therapy. Over a 1 year period, there was no difference found in shoulder pain, pain intensity and quality of life between the two treatment methods but significant improvements were noticed in both groups for all three measured outcomes. In addition, it was noted that patients in the CSI group needed more SIS-related health care assistance than the MPT group.