Rheumatology Advance Access published online on January 18, 2005
Rheumatology, doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keh535
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Rheumatology Department, The Ulster Hospital, Dundonald, Belfast BT16 0RH, Northern Ireland, UK
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Objective. To assess the effectiveness of intra-articular triamcinolone injection and physiotherapy singly or combined in the treatment of adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. Methods. Eighty patients with adhesive capsulitis of less than 6 months duration were randomized to one of four groups: Group A, injection of triamcinolone 20 mg and eight sessions of standardized physiotherapy; Group B, injection of triamcinolone 20 mg alone; Group C, placebo injection and eight sessions of standardized physiotherapy; or Group D, placebo injection alone. All subjects were given an identical home exercise programme. Outcome measures were assessed at 6 weeks and 16 weeks. The primary outcome measure was Shoulder Disability Questionnaire (SDQ) score. Secondary outcomes were measurement of pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS), global disability using VAS and range of passive external rotation. A two-way analysis of variance was used to explore the effects of corticosteroid injection and physiotherapy. Results. At 6 weeks, the SDQ had improved significantly more in the groups receiving corticosteroid injection (P = 0.004). Physiotherapy improved passive external rotation at 6 weeks (P = 0.02) and corticosteroid injection improved self-assessment of global disability at 6 weeks (P = 0.04). There was no interaction effect between injection and physiotherapy. At 16 weeks, all groups had improved to a similar degree with respect to all outcome measures. Conclusion. Corticosteroid injection is effective in improving shoulder-related disability, and physiotherapy is effective in improving the range of movement in external rotation 6 weeks after treatment.
Received June 3, 2004
Accepted December 1, 2004
Original Papers
A randomized controlled trial of intra-articular triamcinolone and/or physiotherapy in shoulder capsulitis
2 Physiotherapy Department, The Ulster Hospital, Dundonald, Belfast BT16 0RH, Northern Ireland, UK
3 Faculty of Life and Health Sciences, University of Ulster, Jordanstown, Belfast BT37 0QB, Northern Ireland, UK
I. Ryans, E-mail: ianryans{at}doctors.org.uk
Abstract 
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  D. V Jewell, D. L Riddle, and L. R Thacker Interventions Associated With an Increased or Decreased Likelihood of Pain Reduction and Improved Function in Patients With Adhesive Capsulitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study Physical Therapy, May 1, 2009; 89(5): 419 - 429. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Bal, E. Eksioglu, B. Gulec, E. Aydog, E. Gurcay, and A. Cakci Effectiveness of corticosteroid injection in adhesive capsulitis Clinical Rehabilitation, June 1, 2008; 22(6): 503 - 512. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Watson, A. Bialocerkowski, R. Dalziel, S. Balster, F. Burke, and C. Finch Hydrodilatation (distension arthrography): a long-term clinical outcome series Br. J. Sports Med., March 1, 2007; 41(3): 167 - 173. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|