Effects of Exercise on Adhesive Capsulitis

Adhesive capsulitis (AC) is a common shoulder condition characterized by a gradual increase in spontaneous pain and a limitation in glenohumeral joint range of motion. Its pathophysiology, a pathological process of capsular fibrosis following synovial inflammation, is relatively well understood, but its cause remains unknown. The literature on the treatment of frozen shoulder, whose etiology remains unknown, provides evidence of the effectiveness of conservative treatment approaches such as physiotherapy, analgesics, and steroid injections. Early treatment success is achieved through pain reduction and increased function rather than achieving full range of motion. Pain with movement is minimal in primary frozen shoulder in Stage 1, while night pain accompanied by activity pain is also observed in Stages 2 and 3. Secondary frozen shoulder presents with similar pain, primarily caused by inflammation in the shoulder joint capsule. Increasing range of motion without pain suppression is quite difficult in patients with frozen shoulder. Although heat or electrotherapy methods are accepted to have theoretically positive effects on pain in treatment, it is difficult to determine the effect of a single method on the natural course of the disease. For this reason, therapeutic methods are generally applied in addition to manual therapy and therapeutic exercises. Thermal tools and stretching exercises are frequently used in physiotherapy to maintain and regain flexibility. Ultrasonography, which is among the clinical diagnostic methods performed in patients with adhesive capsulitis, has shown increased thickness, especially in the coracohumeral ligament, followed by fibrous changes in the supraspinatus tendon and long head of the biceps. The effectiveness of exercise training combined with electrotherapy on many factors has been frequently investigated in the literature. However, a review of the literature did not find any studies on the effects of exercise training given in adhesive capsulitis on shoulder architecture. The fact that ultrasonographic examination, an indispensable part of the diagnosis and treatment process, provides objective data on the effects of exercise will increase the quality of the study. In this context, our study; The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of exercise training on pain, range of motion, functionality and shoulder architecture in patients with adhesive capsulitis.

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis by a physician,
• Between the ages of 35-60,
• Not diagnosed with cervical disc herniation that could cause other shoulder pathologies,
• Not participating in an upper extremity-related physiotherapy program within the last 6 months,
• Volunteering individuals to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Individuals who have undergone shoulder surgery consistent with any pathology,
• Individuals with a neurological history,
• Individuals diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM)