Riassunto dello studio

41 patients with frozen shoulder were randomized to receive 6 weeks of structured exercise (n=20) or 4 weeks of oral corticosteroid (n=21). The primary outcome of interest was the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score. Secondary outcomes of interest included the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score (ASES), range of motion, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HADS) scores. The exercise group significantly outperformed the oral corticosteroid group, resulting in better abduction and external range of motion. While no other statistically significant differences were observed, the exercise group demonstrated better range of motion, function, and depression/anxiety scores than the corticosteroid group. This suggests that exercise is the preferred option over oral corticosteroid for frozen shoulder. However, given the small sample size, a larger trial exploring various regimens of oral corticosteroid is of interest.