Evidence-based clinical guidelines for the diagnosis, assessment and physiotherapy management of contracted (frozen) shoulder: quick reference summary

This is a summary of the key points and recommendations from the first version (v. 1) of Evidence-based clinical guidelines for the diagnosis, assessment and physiotherapy management of contracted (frozen) shoulder[1].

This version encompasses diagnosis and assessment and, in terms of physiotherapy management, focuses on ‘standard physiotherapy’ (those interventions which could be practised by a graduate physiotherapist without additional training) although this has involved comparisons with other interventions, particularly steroid injections.

Future versions will broaden the focus of physiotherapy management to incorporate other interventions within the scope of physiotherapy practice. The summary is not intended to stand alone.

Readers are strongly advised to consult the full guidelines document, which expands upon the methodological processes and justifies the key points and recommendations.

Evidence-based clinical guidelines for the diagnosis, assessment and physiotherapy management of contracted (frozen) shoulder: quick reference summary     Nigel C.A. Hanchard, Lorna Goodchild, Jackie Thompson, Tracey O’Brien, Dot Davison, Chris Richardson
Physiotherapy - June 2012 (Vol. 98, Issue 2, Pages 117-120, DOI: 10.1016/j.physio.2012.01.001)