OMT for Adhesive Capsulitis

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment as an Adjunct Therapy for Adhesive Capsulitis

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) is an effective addition to treatment of adhesive capsulitis. OMT is a non-invasive treatment in which a doctor gently moves and stretches muscles, joints, and tissues manually. Adhesive capsulitis is more commonly known as "frozen shoulder" and describes a shoulder that becomes stiff, painful, and limited in its motion due to some structural change in the joint. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Is recovery faster when OMT is added to regular treatment? Are patients that underwent OMT more satisfied with their treatment?

Researchers will compare patients who underwent OMT to patients who did not to see if OMT is an effective additional treatment for frozen shoulder.

Participants will:

• Be assigned to one of the four experimental groups

• Visit clinic and/or physical therapy to undergo the treatments associated with their group:

  1. standard course of prescribed physical therapy
  2. standard course of prescribed physical therapy and an injection of an anti-inflammatory and anesthetics in the shoulder
  3. standard course of prescribed physical therapy and (up to) 4 OMT sessions
  4. standard course of prescribed physical therapy, an injection of an anti-inflammatory and anesthetics in the shoulder, and (up to) 4 OMT sessions.

• Visit clinic 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after treatment is complete

• Complete a survey about how satisfied they are with their treatment 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after it is complete

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis who have not received prior treatment for it

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients with contraindications to corticosteroid injections (uncontrolled diabetes, active infection, bleeding disorders, or corticosteroid hypersensitivity)
• patients diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis who have received (or are currently receiving) treatment for it