Physiotherapeutic Case Studies in Frozen Shoulder Pathology

The stiff shoulder is a pathology characterized by a biomechanical restriction of the active and passive movement of the shoulder, showing clinical pictures of local inflammation with a notorious hyper vascularization that helps the clinical manifestations painful flexion, stiffness, limitation of external rotation, pain over the lower cervical area or near the insertion of the deltoid muscle and pain when supporting the affected limb with body weight.

Etiologically there are idiopathic and external factors that cause disorders such as osteoarthritis, chronic subacromial bursitis, or rotator cuff tendinopathy. Likewise, trauma is involved in a secondary way as well as diseases such as Parkinson's, diabetes, thyroid disorders among others. These clinical factors present two types of diagnosis: primary idiopathic stiff shoulder and extrinsic stiff shoulder secondary to trauma or surgery.

Among the physiotherapeutic treatments provided are joint mobilizations, therapeutic exercises, deep Cyriax massage, osteopathic techniques, cryotherapy (inflammatory phase), thermotherapy (chronic phase), electrotherapy for pain and ultrasound.

From the economic point of view, it presents from 2 to 5% of the medical incapacities in the working population, being this disease one of the first 20 sick leaves that reaches up to 12 months, generating high public hospital expenses and difficulties for the business area. Due to the above, many patients enter the operating room as a quick option to return to normality. However, this option does not seem to be the best for this disease, since the hypomobility of the movement increases gradually and chronically, caused by the fibrotic processes in the anterior face of the capsule, generating long-term inability for the external rotation of the joint.

The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of Percutaneous Neuromodulation together with Orthopaedic Manual Therapy (Maitland and Mulligan) compared to Orthopaedic Manual Therapy (Maitland and Mulligan) used in the stiff shoulder.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with difficulty in activities of daily living ABVD 35.
• Patients with positive results in some of the physical examination tests.
• Patients with a previous diagnosis by ultrasound imaging.
• Patients with surgical intervention after 3 months of age.

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with mental disorders or deficits.
• Patients with needle phobia (belonephobia).
• Patients with recent surgery before 3 months of age.
• Patients with previous dislocation of the affected shoulder.