Comparing Digital to Conventional Physical Therapy for Chronic Shoulder Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial.

研究概要

82 patients with chronic shoulder pain (CSP) were randomly allotted to undergo either digital physical therapy (DPT; n=41) or conventional physical therapy (CPT; n=41). The primary outcome of interest was the change in functions and symptoms measured using the short-form of Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire (QuickDASH). The secondary outcomes measured included the self-reported pain level, intention to undergo surgery, analgesic consumption, mental health, engagement, patient satisfaction and incidence of adverse events. All of the outcomes were measured at baseline and 8 weeks. The study results revealed that both groups showed significant improvement in the QuickDASH scores, without any significant difference between the two groups. There was also significant reduction in the pain scores of both groups with the average and least pain groups showing significantly greater reduction in the CPT group. 8 week worst pain scores were lower in the CPT group, but the level of reduction was not significantly different. Both groups showed significant reduction in depression however no reductions were seen in anxiety levels. The patient dropout rate was seen to be lower in the DPT group while patient satisfaction was seen at a higher level in the CPT group. Also, no differences were observed in surgery intent and analgesic intake between the groups.