Efficacy of Muscle Energy Technique and Codman’s Exercises in Adhesive Capsulitis

Background: To date, no study has directly compared the Muscle Energy Technique and Codman’s exercises in managing the symptoms. Moreover, this is the most overlooked aspect of treatment in Indian physiotherapy clinics. Our study determined the efficacy of the Muscle Energy Technique compared with Codman’s Exercises in adhesive capsulitis, helping to develop a better structured and optimized therapeutic strategy. Study Setting: Physiotherapy OPD, Dasmesh College of Physiotherapy, Faridkot. Methodology: Sixty patients, aged 40-60 years, were randomly assigned to three equal groups for the study. Group A participants received treatment consisting of a Hot Pack for 10 minutes, followed by the Muscle Energy Technique. Group B participants received treatment comprising a hot pack for ten minutes, followed by Codman’s Exercises. Group C participants received only a hot pack. Assessments were conducted on the first day and repeated after 4 weeks of the intervention/control study. Outcome Measures: Two standardized outcome tools were used: the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) questionnaire. Results: Relevant Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 21 software to verify the findings. All groups showed improvement; however, Group A demonstrated the most significant reduction in Pain and Stiffness. In contrast, Group C showed the minimum improvement in all measured parameters. Conclusion: The findings indicate that combining hot pack therapy with the muscle energy technique may serve as an effective clinical intervention for adhesive Capsulitis. Thus, the muscle energy technique should be used as a cardinal approach for an effective treatment of Adhesive Capsulitis. KEY WORDS: Pain, Stiffness, Adhesive Capsulitis (AC) or Frozen Shoulder, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), Glenohumeral Joint, Muscle Energy Technique (MET), Codman’s Exercises, Hot Pack, Range of Motion (ROM).