EFFECTIVENESS OF SHOCK WAVE THERAPY VERSUS STANDARD PHYSICAL THERAPY MODALITIES IN PATIENTS WITH SHOULDER PAIN
Keywords:
shock wave, painful shoulder, physical therapyAbstract
Painful shoulder syndrome is a condition characterised by pain in the shoulder region and limited range of motion. Shockwave therapy is a non-invasive method of treating localised musculoskeletal changes. It is an acoustic wave that transmits energy to painful sites and myoskeletal tissues in subacute, subchronic and chronic conditions.The study was a cohort study, with one group (n=30) receiving shock wave therapy (ESWT) with other modalities and the other group (n=30) received other types of physical therapy (PT). During the 10 days of treatment, both groups had therapy every day, and shock wave therapy was administrated every other day.In the PT group, the average age was 52.3±11.3 years, while in the ESWT group, the average age was 47.5±13.9 years. In the PT group, 50% of respondents were workers, and 27% worked in an office. In the ESWT group, 43% of respondents were manual workers, 33% had an office job. Before any form of therapy, all subjects had significantly reduced functions (poor function). The pain was very pronounced, with an average score of 7.7±0.9 in the PT group and 8.0±1.1 in the ESWT group (t=1.156; p=0.254). Subjects who were treated with classical physical therapy after the treatment had satisfactory function (100%), while in the group of subjects who were treated with the Shockwave method, 25 (83%) had good function, and 5 (17%) had satisfactory function. Significantly more subjects had good shoulder function after shock wave therapy (p<0.001). After 10 days in the PT group, pain significantly decreased to a level of 6.0±0.5 (p<0.001). In ESWT, the group pain intensity dropped to a level of 4.0±1.1 (p<0.001). Although both groups proved to be effective in treating pain, shock wave therapy showed a significantly better result (t=-9.066; p<0.001).
Shock wave therapy is the method of choice that is very effective in the treatment of painful shoulder syndrome, i.e. in improving daily activities of life, as well as improving the reduced function of the shoulder joint, which has been proven by the example of our respondents
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