Background: The traditional treatment protocol in adhesive capsulitis cases is physical therapy agents and a home exercise program. The extensive majority of patients respond to conservative treatment, but the painful rehabilitation program makes it inconvenient for individuals to fully comply with the treatment. In order to reduce pain and spasm, intraarticular injections or suprascapular nerve block may be effective before the rehabilitation program. Objectives: To investigated the effect of suprascapular nerve block (SNB), which is added to standard physical therapy on pain, functionality and range of motion in patients with adhesive capsulitis (AC). Design: Retrospective study. Methods: This study included 46 patients who were treated for AC. Patients in both groups were given 15 season physical therapy and home exercise. The treatment group consisted of patients who underwent multiple SNB in addition to physical therapy and home exercise. Datas were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), ROM, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and Constant scores in both groups after treatment and at the third month follow-up (P<.001). In the comparison between the groups, it was determined that the improvement in VAS, ROM and SPADI scores in the treatment group at the 3-month control was statistically significant (P<.05). Conclusion: Multiple SNB added to physical therapy and home exercise program in cases of AC may be effective in terms of pain control, increasing joint range of motion and improving functionality.

Background: Stretch-oriented home exercise programs are often used as treatments for patients with adhesive capsulitis; however, there is lack of research on home exercise programs to strengthen rotator cuffs. Objects: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of home exercise programs for rotator cuff strengthening on pain, range of motion (ROM), disability level, and quality of life in patients with adhesive capsulitis. Methods: Twenty-two patients with adhesive capsulitis volunteered to participate in this study. The subjects were randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 11) and control group (n = 11). For the experimental group, manual therapy and home exercise programs for rotator cuff strengthening were applied for 6 weeks; for the control group, only manual therapy was applied for 6 weeks. Shoulder pain (quadruple visual analogue scale, QVAS), ROM, disability (shoulder pain and disability index-Korean version, SPADI), and quality of life (world health organization quality of life scale-Korean version, WHOQOL-BREF) were evaluated at baseline, after 3 weeks, and after 6 weeks of intervention. The changes in the measurement variables were analyzed by using repeated measure analysis of variance. Results: Significant differences were observed between the experimental group and control group in the QVAS; SPADI-pain scores; SPADI-disability scores; SPADI-total scores; flexion, abduction, internal and external rotation ROM of the glenohumeral joint; and WHOQOLBREF total, overall, physical health, and psychological scores. All groups displayed statistically significant improvements as observed in the QVAS, SPADI, flexion, abduction, external and internal rotation ROM of the glenohumeral joint, and WHOQOL-BREF. Conclusion: Home exercise programs for rotator cuff strengthening had a positive impact on shoulder pain, shoulder ROM, disability level, and quality of life in patients with adhesive capsulitis. Therefore, we propose the use of home exercise programs for rotator cuff strengthening in the exercise rehabilitation of patients with adhesive capsulitis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of joint position on the distraction distance in patients with adhesive capsulitis of glenohumeral joint. The study was conducted upon 20 adults in their 40's with the findings of adhesive capsulitis of glenohumeral joint. These subjects were subdivided into 3 groups, which were a group with neutral position(n=7), second group with resting position(n=7) and third group with end-range position( n=6). After having the subject wearing sleeveless shirts exposing armpit and lying straight on the plinth, a physical therapist with OMT qualification pulled glenohumeral joint at the Grade Ⅲ of Kaltenborn-Evjenth traction; and the distance between glenoid fossa and humeral head was measured with ultrasound. Following the application of traction, the group with resting position(.67±0.29) exhibited the longest distance between humeral head and glenoid fossa, and it was followed by neutral position(.50±0.25) and end-range position(.35±.21) in this order. From the comparison of these groups, there was no significant difference in distraction distance between resting position and neutral position; and there was again no significant difference in distraction distance between end-range position and neutral position. However, there was a significant difference in distraction distance between end-range position and resting position(p<.05). Upon application of the Grade Ⅲ of Kaltenborn-Evjenth traction, it was evident that the distance between humeral head and glenoid fossa can be varied depending on the location of the joint.