Comparing Three Modalities of Treatment for Frozen Shoulder: A Prospective, Double-Blinded, Randomized Control Trial.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Pain Management
• Physical Therapy

Background:

• Idiopathic frozen shoulder significantly impacts shoulder function and quality of life.
• Effective pain management and rehabilitation are crucial for treating frozen shoulder.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) with non-invasive rehabilitation (NIR), intra-articular injection (IAI) with NIR, and NIR alone for idiopathic frozen shoulder.
• To evaluate pain reduction, range of motion, and disability scores across different treatment modalities.

Main Methods:

• A double-blinded, randomized clinical trial involving 60 patients with idiopathic frozen shoulder.
• Patients were randomized into three groups: NIR alone, NIR + SSNB, and NIR + IAI.
• Outcomes including pain score, SPADI score, and range of motion were assessed pre-treatment and at 12 weeks.

Main Results:

• All groups showed significant improvement in pain, disability, and range of motion post-treatment (p < 0.05).
• The SSNB with NIR group demonstrated superior improvement in pain score, disability score, and internal rotation compared to the IAI group.
• Improvements in total range of motion and external rotation were statistically equivalent between the SSNB with NIR and IAI groups.

Conclusions:

• Suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) combined with non-invasive rehabilitation (NIR) is an effective and safe treatment for idiopathic frozen shoulder.
• SSNB with NIR is more effective than NIR alone or NIR combined with intra-articular injection (IAI) for treating idiopathic frozen shoulder.