A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF CONVENTIONAL ULTRASOUND AND HIGH POWER PAIN THRESHOLD ULTRASOUND ON FROZEN SHOULDER

Abstract

Purpose: Frozen shoulder is a disease characterized by severe disruption of quality of life, pain and progressive limitation of movement. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of the high power pain threshold ultrasound (HPPT-US) and conventional ultrasound (C-US) on shoulder pain, the range of motion (ROM) and upper extremity functionality in frozen shoulder patients. Methods: Twenty voluntary patients (10 women, 10 men) with frozen shoulder were randomly divided into two groups. The treatment duration of both groups was 14 sessions and treatment program consists of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, Cold Pack, Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation, and exercise training. In addition to the standard treatment programs, the HPPT-US was applied to the study group, and the C-US was administered to the control group for five minutes. All patients were evaluated three times before treatment, seventh session, and 14th session. The shoulder pain intensity was assessed with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), joint range of motion (ROM) using Goniometric Measurement, and functional status with Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder. Hand (DASH). Results: There were significant differences in ROM, VAS, and DASH scores in both groups (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups when the intra-group changes were calculated by taking the difference between the scores obtained before and after treatment (p>0.05). Conclusion: The patients with frozen shoulder benefited from both treatment programs, however, HPPT-US had no advantage over C-US.