Effects of muscle energy technique combined with joint mobilization in the management of frozen shoulder

Objective To observe the therapeutic effects of muscle energy technique combined with joint mobilization on frozen shoulder.Methods Thirty-six patients with frozen shoulder were randomly assigned to:group A (treated with muscle energy technique plus joint mobilization),group B (treated with passive stretching with joint mobilization),and group C (treated with joint mobilization merely),and each had 12 patients.All the patients were treated accordingly for 3 times a week,totally for 4 weeks.The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons evaluation system (ASES) was adopted to evaluate clinical effects before and at the end of treatment.Results After 4 weeks of treatment,all patients' ASES scores were improved significantly (P ＜ 0.05).The improvement in the shoulder score index and shoulder range of motion were to a significantly better extent in group A than in the other two groups.Conclusion Muscle energy technique plus joint mobilization could effectively relieve pain increase the shoulder ROM and improve performance in activities of daily living in patients suffering from frozen shoulder. Key words: Frozen shoulder;  Muscle energy technique;  Passive stretch;  Arthrogryposis;  Joint mobilization