Comparison of Spencer Technique and Conventional Physical Therapy in Adjunct to Corticosteroid Injection in Frozen Shoulder

Abstract

Background: The use of intra-articular corticosteroid injections remains standard practice in adhesive capsulitis, but professionals disagree about the best supplementary treatment to enhance both pain relief and functional outcomes after shoulder rehabilitation. Spencer technique is used as a manual therapy along with corticosteroid injections to replace the traditional physical therapy. Objective: To compare Spencer technique and conventional treatment in adjuncts to corticosteroids injection in frozen shoulder. Methodology: A randomised controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the comparative effects of these two treatment approaches. The study included 18 participants of Stage 2 and 3 frozen shoulder who received either intra-articular corticosteroids together with Spencer technique as Group A or intra-articular corticosteroid injection with conventional therapy as Group B. The interventions were delivered twice per week throughout four weeks of treatment. The researchers assessed three outcome measures through the visual analogue scale for pain measurement, the Goniometer for range of motion assessment, and the Functional Shoulder Scale for functional improvement monitoring. The data was analysed through independent t-tests in addition to repeated measures ANOVA. Results: The participants from both groups achieved significant improvements in pain reduction together with shoulder range of motion and functional recovery, however the Spencer technique group showed better results. Subjects in the Spencer technique group exceeded the conventional therapy group in achieving better internal rotation results (76.33° vs. 66.67°; p<0.05) together with superior total functional scoring (89.89 vs. 77.44; p<0.001). The subjects in both groups experienced pain reduction, but the subjects receiving the Spencer technique demonstrated marginally better VAS scores during Week 4 (visual analogue scale score: 0.78 vs. 1.22; p<0.001). Conclusion: Shoulder function, along with mobility, improved to a greater degree with the combination of the Spencer technique and intra-articular corticosteroid injection than with corticosteroids alone.