Shockwave Therapy for Pain: Researchers Evaluate Treatments for Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a condition in which the connective tissue surrounding the shoulder joint becomes thickened, stiff, and inflamed. This causes pain and restricts movement. The condition most commonly affects people aged 40–60, with women more likely to develop it than men.

The researchers analyzed 189 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 13,000 adult patients. They compared the effectiveness of various treatments, including shockwave therapy, medications, steroid injections, and surgical procedures.

Moderately certain evidence suggested that shockwave therapy, which uses acoustic waves to target tissues, probably reduces pain in the short term.

Another approach, manipulation of the shoulder joint under anesthesia, may help increase the range of motion. When combined with a steroid injection, it improved patients' ability to raise their arms forward and upward by approximately 33 degrees compared with standard treatment.

Without the injection, the improvement was about 26 degrees.

However, the effectiveness of most other treatments remains unclear. The researchers also note that current evidence is insufficient to reliably assess long-term outcomes and compare the safety of different treatment approaches.