Jelena Sokk will defend the thesis "Shoulder function in patients with frozen shoulder syndrome: the effect of conservative treatment and manipulation under general anaesthesia", applying for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in exercise and sport sciences.
Supervisor: professor Mati Pääsuke. Opponent: Professor Alvis Paeglitis (Latvian Academy of Sport Education).
Frozen shoulder syndrome is a common shoulder joint condition that causes patients several problems in everyday life and worsens their quality of life. To our knowledge, the shoulder muscle isometric strength and endurance have not been the main reported parameters of treatment outcome in patients with this diagnosis.
The main goal of the present study was to follow the improvement in shoulder joint and shoulder muscle functional outcome after conservative treatment and manipulation under general anaesthesia with subsequent physiotherapy. Twenty-eight patients with frozen shoulder syndrome participated in this study, ten of them underwent conservative treatment during one month, and eighteen received manipulation under general anaesthesia, followed by physiotherapy. In patients with frozen shoulder syndrome the muscle isometric strength, endurance, static working capacity and shoulder joint range of motion were measured before and after therapy. Additionally, shoulder pain was screened in subjects of the current study.
Physiotherapy sessions consisted of therapeutic exercises for improving shoulder joint range of motion and shoulder muscle strength. If necessary, massage procedures were applied on stiff shoulder muscles, and electrical therapy was used for relieving pain.
The study results revealed that in patients with frozen shoulder syndrome were reduced the shoulder muscle isometric strength, endurance, and shoulder range of motion for the involved extremity before conservative treatment and manipulation under general anaesthesia. After one-month conservative treatment the shoulder muscle isometric strength, static working capacity and shoulder range of motion were improved.
The recovery of shoulder muscle isometric endurance after manipulation under general anaesthesia was more delayed than the recovery of isometric strength and shoulder range of motion. However, the shoulder range of motion during flexion and external rotation remained reduced six months after manipulation under general anaesthesia.
It can be recommended that in the rehabilitation process of patients with frozen shoulder syndrome, more attention should be paid on the recovery of shoulder muscles endurance.