Effects of Thoracic Mobilisation in Addition to Routine Physical Therapy on Pain, Range of Motion and Functional Disability in Patients with Frozen Shoulder

Background: Adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder is a prevalent musculoskeletal condition characterised by limited shoulder joint mobility, pain, and functional impairment. While the conventional physical therapy is the standard approach for managing this condition. Objective: To assess the effects of thoracic mobilisation combined with traditional physical therapy on pain intensity, shoulder range of motion, and functional limitations in patients with adhesive capsulitis. Methodology: This trial was conducted at the Punjab Medical Centre and the University Teaching Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan, in nine months. About 38 patients suffering from adhesive capsulitis with a minimum duration of three months, aged between 45 to 65 years, both genders were recruited in this study. Individuals diagnosed with congenital deformities, cardiovascular diseases, rotator cuff tears, neurological disorders, thoracic outlet syndrome, diabetes mellitus, any rheumatologic condition, cervical radiculopathy, or a history of fractures or tumours were excluded. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two equal groups to ensure unbiased comparison between the interventions by employing computer-generated random numbers, one of which was the physiotherapy group, and the other was the joint mobilisation and physiotherapy group. A paired sample t-test was employed to determine whether there is a statistically significant difference between the means of the two related groups, while an independent t-test was employed to compare the means of two independent groups. Results: The experimental group experienced significantly greater reductions in pain, enhancements in shoulder abduction and external rotation, and improvements in functional ability compared to the control group. Statistical analysis revealed that these differences were significant (p<0.001) and were maintained at the three-month follow-up evaluation. Conclusion: The addition of thoracic mobilisation to conventional physical therapy yields superior outcomes in reducing pain and disability and improving mobility in patients with adhesive capsulitis.