Physiotherapy Interventions for Adhesive Capsulitis of Shoulder: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review on various physiotherapy management for adhesive capsulitis of shoulder.Methods: A search of the literature was conducted using Clinical Key, ProQuest and PEDro databases up to September 2015. Search limits included the English language and human studies. Search terms included adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder, Physical therapy, Physiotherapy etc. Inclusion criteria: Systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in English language were included if they fulfilled the following criteria: (a) patients with adhesive capsulitis were included, (b) results on pain and function were reported, and (c) a study period of at least two weeks was reported. Articles were assessed using the Jadad (1) scale and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. ‘High-quality’ was defined as a “yes” score of 50% in Jadad scale and a PEDro rating of 5 out of 10. Totally 17 studies were selected for this systematic review. Conclusion: This study has found sufficient level of evidence for physiotherapy in the treatment of adhesive capsulitis the shoulder. In particular, manual treatment must be combined with commonly indicated exercise or conventional physiotherapy, as it remains the standard care.