Effectiveness of the Spencer technique on pain, disability and range of motion in patients with frozen shoulder: A systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression of randomized controlled trials.

Study Summary

16 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 670 patients with frozen shoulder (FS) were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the Spencer technique, alone or combined with other treatments, versus conventional physical therapies (CPTs), other manual therapies, or exercise interventions. Pooled outcomes included pain intensity, disability, and shoulder range of motion (ROM), specifically external rotation (ER), abduction (ABD), and internal rotation (IR). Overall, the Spencer technique did not significantly outperform control interventions across these outcomes. However, subgroup analyses demonstrated improvements in pain and disability compared with CPTs, while adding muscle energy technique (MET) was associated with greater treatment benefits. These findings suggested that the Spencer technique, particularly when combined with MET, could be a useful alternative to CPTs but offered no consistent advantage over other manual therapies.