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Comparison of Soft Tissue Biased Manual Therapy and Conventional Physical Therapy in Patients With Frozen Shoulder

Primary Purpose

Frozen Shoulder, Shoulder Adhesive Capsulitis

Status
Completed
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
Taiwan
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Soft tissue biased manual therapy group
Conventional physical therapy group
Sponsored by
National Yang Ming University
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Frozen Shoulder focused on measuring Frozen Shoulder, Manual therapy, Soft tissue mobilization

Eligibility Criteria

40 Years - 70 Years (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Primary adhesive capsulitis diagnosed by orthopaedic surgeon or physiatrist
  • Reduction in range of motion in more than two planes
  • < 30 degrees of the external rotation range of motion during shoulder abduct to 90 degree
  • No radiologic abnormality
  • Onset time more than three months
  • No night pain and resting pain

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of stroke, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, rotator cuff tear, shoulder osteoarthritis, surgical stabilization/surgery of the shoulder, osteoporosis, or malignancies in the shoulder region

Sites / Locations

  • National Yang Ming University

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm Type

Experimental

Experimental

Arm Label

Soft tissue biased manual therapy group

Conventional physical therapy group

Arm Description

It includes hot pack and muscle release technique of the muscles around the shoulder. The patient receives treatment 45 minutes per times and 2 times per week for 6 weeks.

It includes modality (electrotherapy, ultrasound and low-level laser therapy) and GH joint mobilization. The patient receives treatment 45 minutes per times and 2 times per week for 6 weeks.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Scapulo-humeral rhythm (scapular kinematics) during functional movements
Change from baseline of scapular kinematics to after 6 week intervention during scaption task, hand to neck task and hand to back task

Secondary Outcome Measures

Range of motion of shoulder joint (Goniometer)
Shoulder range of motion in degree of flexion, abduction, internal rotation and external rotation
Mechanical stress relaxation time (ms) of shoulder muscles
We use Myotometer to measure mechanical stress relaxation time (ms) of pectoralis major, infraspinatus, teres complex and upper trapezius
Creep of shoulder muscles
We use Myotometer to measure creep of pectoralis major, infraspinatus, teres complex and upper trapezius
Oscillation frequency (Hz) of shoulder muscles
We use Myotometer to measure oscillation frequency (Hz) of pectoralis major, infraspinatus, teres complex and upper trapezius
Dynamic stiffness (N/m) of shoulder muscles
We use Myotometer to measure dynamic stiffness (N/m) of pectoralis major, infraspinatus, teres complex and upper trapezius
Muscle strength of shoulder muscles (Hand-held Dyanometer)
Shoulder muscle strength in Kgw of lower trapezius, internal rotators and external rotators
Scapula dyskinesia
Use modified lateral scapular slide test to measure during arms by sides, hands on hips and scaption movement
Shoulder disability
Use Flexilevel Scale of Shoulder Function (Flex-SF) questionnaire Chinese version to measure the disability level of frozen shoulder patients. Flex-SF uses 4-point Likert Scale to measure the disability level. Subjects need to answer a routing question and subgroup them into three different difficulty level. The scores range from 1 to 48 (1= most disable, 48= least disable).
Shoulder pain
Use visual analogue scale to measure shoulder pain of frozen shoulder patients. We will provide subjects a 10-cm scale for them to point the intensity of their pain (on a 10-cm scale, 0 cm = no pain, 10 cm = the most severe pain).
Scapula motor control (muscle activation percentage)
Change from baseline of scapular muscles' activation in percentage during scaption, hand to neck and hand to back task to after 6-week intervention

Full Information

First Posted
August 6, 2018
Last Updated
August 31, 2021
Sponsor
National Yang Ming University
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT03711409
Brief Title
Comparison of Soft Tissue Biased Manual Therapy and Conventional Physical Therapy in Patients With Frozen Shoulder
Official Title
Comparison of Soft Tissue Biased Manual Therapy and Conventional Physical Therapy on Shoulder Kinematics, Muscle Performance, Functional Impairment & Pain in Patients With Frozen Shoulder
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
August 2021
Overall Recruitment Status
Completed
Study Start Date
December 25, 2018 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
January 31, 2020 (Actual)
Study Completion Date
February 28, 2020 (Actual)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Principal Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
National Yang Ming University

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
Adhesive capsulitis, also known as frozen shoulder (FS), is a condition characterized by the functional restriction of both active and passive shoulder motion with unremarkable glenohumeral joint radiographs findings. Shoulder pain almost exists during the whole course of frozen shoulder. Pain induces muscle spasm and causes pain-spasm-pain cycle resulting in limited range of motion, changed muscle recruitment pattern and finally influences neuromuscular control. Commonly used conservative interventions for FS patients include joint mobilization, corticosteroid injection, exercise, modality and soft tissue mobilization. Despite joint mobilization is the most commonly used manual therapy in patients with FS, the evidence level is weak and the efficacy is not superior to other conservative treatments. Soft tissue mobilization is widely used in lots of musculoskeletal conditions. The effects of soft tissue mobilization include breaking the adhesion tissue and improving range of motion, muscle strength and motor control. However, few studies have investigated the effect of soft tissue mobilization in patients with frozen shoulder. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the effect of soft tissue biased manual therapy and conventional physical therapy in patients with primary FS.
Detailed Description
Adhesive capsulitis, also known as frozen shoulder (FS), is a condition characterized by a functional restriction of both active and passive shoulder motion with unremarkable glenohumeral joint radiographs findings. Frozen shoulder is divided into primary and secondary type. The mechanism of primary FS is still unknown and the secondary FS may accompany with shoulder injuries. The incidence of primary FS is 2 to 5.8% and the risk factors are diabetes and thyroid disease. The course of FS is divided into four consecutive stages which are inflammation, painful, frozen and thawing phase. Shoulder pain almost exists during the whole course of frozen shoulder. The pain and discomfort of FS patients are frequently localized to the deltoid insertion and coracoid process. Pain induces muscle spasm and causes pain-spasm-pain cycle resulting in limited range of motion, changed muscle recruitment pattern and finally influences neuromuscular control. Commonly used conservative interventions for FS patients include joint mobilization, corticosteroid injection, exercise, modality and soft tissue mobilization. Despite joint mobilization is the most commonly used manual therapy in patients with FS, the evidence level is weak and the efficacy is not superior to other conservative treatment s. Soft tissue mobilization is widely used in lots of musculoskeletal conditions. The effects of soft tissue mobilization include breaking the adhesion tissue and improving range of motion, muscle strength and motor control. However, few studies have investigated the effect of soft tissue mobilization in patients with frozen shoulder. Only one study used one-time muscle release to FS patients and investigate improvement in shoulder biomechanics, muscle strength and ROM. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the effect of soft tissue biased manual therapy and conventional physical therapy for six weeks in patients with primary FS. The study design is a pretest-posttest control group design. The investigators plan to recruit 70 patients with primary frozen shoulder and divide them into a soft tissue biased manual therapy group and a conventional physical therapy group. The sample size is determined by the previous study. It is based on a significance level of 0.05, and a power of 0.80. The outcome measures in this study include scapula kinematics, scapula position, the range of motion, muscle tone, muscle strength, pain and functional impairment. LIBERTY™ electromagnetic tracking system (Polhemus, Colchester, VT, USA) was used to collect three-dimensional kinematic (3D) data during scaption, hand to neck and hand to back tasks at a sampling rate of 120 Hz, and the software Motion Monitor® (Innovative Sport Training, Inc., Chicago. IL. USA) was used to analyze the data. The main measurements of shoulder kinematics include scapular upward/downward rotation, internal/external rotation, and anterior/posterior tilt. A stylus was used to digitize the bony landmarks for defining the anatomical coordinate system. The methods for this measure have been described previously. For collecting muscle activation data, the investigators used surface electromyography (sEMG, TeleMyo 2400 G2 Telemetry; Noraxon USA, Inc., USA) to collect scapular muscles' activation during those tasks. The investigators will measure the muscle activities of the pectoralis major, upper trapezius, infraspinatus, teres major and lower trapezius. The electrodes will be placed according to previous studies and be positioned in parallel to the direction of the muscle fibers. The range of motion of shoulder flexion, abduction, external rotation and internal rotation will be measured by plastic universal goniometer according to Norkin's methods. The muscle strength of lower trapezius, external rotators and internal rotators are measured by the hand-held dynamometer. The scapula positions are measured by modified scapular sliding test with calliper during arms by sides, hands on the hips and scaption 90 degrees. The muscle tone of pectoralis major, upper trapezius, infraspinatus and teres complex will be measured by hand-held myotonometer (Myoton-Pro, Myoton AS, Tallinn, Estonia) in shoulder resting position according to previous studies. The functional impairments are measured by Flexilevel Scale of Shoulder Function questionnaire. The pain level is measured by the visual analogue scale. Participants in the soft tissue biased manual therapy group will receive heat and muscle release for six weeks and participants in conventional physical therapy group will receive modalities and joint mobilization for six weeks. The measurement will be obtained at baseline, 3 weeks, and after the intervention. Repeated measures ANOVA will be used for data analysis. The level of significance sets at α=0.05.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Frozen Shoulder, Shoulder Adhesive Capsulitis
Keywords
Frozen Shoulder, Manual therapy, Soft tissue mobilization

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Model Description
Subjects are divided into soft tissue biased manual therapy group and conventional physical therapy group by two different hospitals
Masking
None (Open Label)
Allocation
Non-Randomized
Enrollment
34 (Actual)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Soft tissue biased manual therapy group
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
It includes hot pack and muscle release technique of the muscles around the shoulder. The patient receives treatment 45 minutes per times and 2 times per week for 6 weeks.
Arm Title
Conventional physical therapy group
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
It includes modality (electrotherapy, ultrasound and low-level laser therapy) and GH joint mobilization. The patient receives treatment 45 minutes per times and 2 times per week for 6 weeks.
Intervention Type
Other
Intervention Name(s)
Soft tissue biased manual therapy group
Intervention Description
It includes hot pack and muscle release technique of pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, teres major, teres minor, infraspinatus and posterior deltoid muscles. Subjects are supine on the bed. The muscle release technique is applied at the end available range and the acceptable intensity. The time of muscle release intervention is about 30 min and hot-pack about 15 min.
Intervention Type
Other
Intervention Name(s)
Conventional physical therapy group
Intervention Description
It includes modality (electrotherapy, ultrasound and low-level laser therapy) and GH joint mobilization. GH joint mobilization includes anterior to posterior glide, caudal glide and distraction. The intensity of joint mobilization is grade III to IV. The time of joint mobilization is about 30 min and hot-pack for 15 min.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Scapulo-humeral rhythm (scapular kinematics) during functional movements
Description
Change from baseline of scapular kinematics to after 6 week intervention during scaption task, hand to neck task and hand to back task
Time Frame
Baseline and after 6-week intervention
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Range of motion of shoulder joint (Goniometer)
Description
Shoulder range of motion in degree of flexion, abduction, internal rotation and external rotation
Time Frame
Baseline, 3-week intervention and 6-week intervention
Title
Mechanical stress relaxation time (ms) of shoulder muscles
Description
We use Myotometer to measure mechanical stress relaxation time (ms) of pectoralis major, infraspinatus, teres complex and upper trapezius
Time Frame
Baseline, 3-week intervention and 6-week intervention
Title
Creep of shoulder muscles
Description
We use Myotometer to measure creep of pectoralis major, infraspinatus, teres complex and upper trapezius
Time Frame
Baseline, 3-week intervention and 6-week intervention
Title
Oscillation frequency (Hz) of shoulder muscles
Description
We use Myotometer to measure oscillation frequency (Hz) of pectoralis major, infraspinatus, teres complex and upper trapezius
Time Frame
Baseline, 3-week intervention and 6-week intervention
Title
Dynamic stiffness (N/m) of shoulder muscles
Description
We use Myotometer to measure dynamic stiffness (N/m) of pectoralis major, infraspinatus, teres complex and upper trapezius
Time Frame
Baseline, 3-week intervention and 6-week intervention
Title
Muscle strength of shoulder muscles (Hand-held Dyanometer)
Description
Shoulder muscle strength in Kgw of lower trapezius, internal rotators and external rotators
Time Frame
Baseline, 3-week intervention and 6-week intervention
Title
Scapula dyskinesia
Description
Use modified lateral scapular slide test to measure during arms by sides, hands on hips and scaption movement
Time Frame
Baseline, 3-week intervention and 6-week intervention
Title
Shoulder disability
Description
Use Flexilevel Scale of Shoulder Function (Flex-SF) questionnaire Chinese version to measure the disability level of frozen shoulder patients. Flex-SF uses 4-point Likert Scale to measure the disability level. Subjects need to answer a routing question and subgroup them into three different difficulty level. The scores range from 1 to 48 (1= most disable, 48= least disable).
Time Frame
Baseline, 3-week intervention and 6-week intervention
Title
Shoulder pain
Description
Use visual analogue scale to measure shoulder pain of frozen shoulder patients. We will provide subjects a 10-cm scale for them to point the intensity of their pain (on a 10-cm scale, 0 cm = no pain, 10 cm = the most severe pain).
Time Frame
Baseline, 3-week intervention and 6-week intervention
Title
Scapula motor control (muscle activation percentage)
Description
Change from baseline of scapular muscles' activation in percentage during scaption, hand to neck and hand to back task to after 6-week intervention
Time Frame
Baseline and after 6-week intervention

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
40 Years
Maximum Age & Unit of Time
70 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Primary adhesive capsulitis diagnosed by orthopaedic surgeon or physiatrist Reduction in range of motion in more than two planes < 30 degrees of the external rotation range of motion during shoulder abduct to 90 degree No radiologic abnormality Onset time more than three months No night pain and resting pain Exclusion Criteria: History of stroke, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis, rotator cuff tear, shoulder osteoarthritis, surgical stabilization/surgery of the shoulder, osteoporosis, or malignancies in the shoulder region
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Shih Yi-Fen, PhD
Organizational Affiliation
Department of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang-Ming University
Official's Role
Study Director
Facility Information:
Facility Name
National Yang Ming University
City
Taipei
ZIP/Postal Code
11221
Country
Taiwan

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Learn more about this trial

Comparison of Soft Tissue Biased Manual Therapy and Conventional Physical Therapy in Patients With Frozen Shoulder

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