BACKGROUND
Frozen shoulder (FS) is a common conditions that causes significant morbidity. It is characterized by restriction of both active and passive shoulder motion (ROM) of the glenohumeral joint. The etiology, pathology, and most efficacious treatments are unclear. The purpose of FS treatment is complete elimination of
pain and recovery of shoulder joint function.
Prolotherapy injects certain compounds into articular spaces, ligaments, and/or tendons to relieve
pain and disability around joint spaces and to stimulate a proliferation cascade to enhance tissue repair and strength. This case report aims to describe functional outcome changes in 2 patients with FS, comparing
prolotherapy combined with
physical therapy vs
physical therapy only. CASE REPORT We report the cases of 2 patients with confirmed FS. Patient A was 66-year-old man with chief concern of right
shoulder pain and limited ROM in the past 3 months, which disrupted daily life, with a visual analog scale (VAS) of 6 out of 10. Patient B was 65-year-old man with chief concern of right
shoulder pain and limited ROM in the past 2 months. The symptoms affected his general quality of life, with a VAS of 5 out of 10. Patient A underwent
prolotherapy combined with
physical therapy and had significantly improved ROM after 2 weeks, with relieved
pain and improved shoulder function. Patient B underwent
physical therapy only and showed similar ROM and no significant
pain improvement. CONCLUSIONS Initial treatment with
prolotherapy combined with
physical therapy for patients with
frozen shoulder achieved fast improvement of active and passive ROM, significantly decreased
pain, and improved quality of life compared to
physical therapy intervention only.