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Adhesive Capsulitis of ShoulderNCT05210036

HILT and US Therapies in Adhesive Capsulitis

A study testing Ultrasound Therapy (US) and High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) in people with Adhesive Capsulitis of Shoulder and Pain, run by Balikesir University.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Background: Adhesive capsulitis (AC) is a common musculoskeletal disease characterized by pain and limitation of movement in the shoulders of patients. Purpose: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of short- and long-term therapeutic ultrasound (US) and high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) in the treatment of… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 70 years
What is being tested?
Ultrasound Therapy (US) and High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT)
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
60 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
15 Nov 2015to 30 Dec 2016
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 70 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Clinically diagnosed with primary (idiopathic) AC,
  • Pain and movement restriction in his or her shoulder for at least 3 months,
  • Restriction of passive external rotation in the involved shoulder restricted with less than 50% of the contralateral shoulder,
  • Normal radiography findings

Who cannot join

  • Both shoulders were involved,
  • Other shoulder pathologies (glenohumeral osteoarthritis, calcific tendinitis, rotator cuff tear, etc.),
  • Cervical radiculopathy,
  • Brachial plexus lesion,
  • Neuromuscular disorders,
  • Inflammatory rheumatic disorders,
Show all 11Show fewer
  • Malignancy,
  • Acute trauma,
  • Patients who had fracture affecting the involved shoulder joint, patients who underwent a surgical intervention, patients who underwent intraarticular injection for the involved shoulder within the last 6 months,
  • Patients who received physical therapy for the glenohumeral joint within the last 1 year, and
  • Photoallergy

About this study

Official title: Comparison of The Effectiveness of High-intensity Laser and Ultrasound Therapies in Adhesive Capsulitis: A Randomized Controlled Study

Background: Adhesive capsulitis (AC) is a common musculoskeletal disease characterized by pain and limitation of movement in the shoulders of patients.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of short- and long-term therapeutic ultrasound (US) and high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) in the treatment of AC.

Methods: A total of 60 patients with AC were randomized into two groups. Group I received US (15 sessions in total) and Group II received HILT (9 sessions in total) for 3 weeks. In addition, all the patients received 15 sessions of physical therapy programs (hot pack, TENS and therapeutic exercises). Assessments were made using VAS-Pain, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and range of motion (ROM) with goniometer before and at the end of the treatment and in the posttreatment 1st and 6th months.

Read the detailed description

INTRODUCTION AC is a common musculoskeletal disease characterized with pain on the patients' shoulder, movement restriction and insufficiency in daily life activities. The prevalence of AC is between 2-5% in general population and higher between the ages of 40 and 60 and among women.

The aim in the treatment of AC is to relieve pain and increase the joint range of motion (ROM) and functioning. The treatment of AC remains controversial because the level of evidence for various treatments is limited. Controlled prospective studies are difficult to design and perform because of controversies in the definition, classification, diagnosis and stages of AC. Many different treatment methods such as medical treatment, physical therapy, exercises, intraarticular steroid injections, suprascapular nerve block, manipulation under anesthesia, and surgical interventions are used in the treatment of AC. Although many different treatment methods are used in the treatment of AC there is no consensus on the standard treatment method. Positive effects of physical therapy practices on AC in the short and long term have been revealed.

Among physical therapy practices, superficial and deep heating agents (infrared radiation, hot pack, shortwave diathermy, low-density laser therapy, HILT and US, etc.), electrotherapy modalities (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), diadinamic current, galvanic current, etc.) and exercises are used alone or in combination in the treatment of AC. Therapeutic US is often used in physical therapy practices in the treatment of AC and the interest in HILT has recently been increasing as well.

This study aimed to investigate whether there was a difference between therapeutic US and HILT in terms of the short-term and long-term effects on pain, ROM and functional condition in the treatment of AC.

METHODS The study was designed as a prospective, randomized, controlled, and single-blind study. A total of 60 patients who were admitted to the physical therapy and rehabilitation outpatient clinic with pain and movement restriction in their shoulder and who signed the patient information consent form were included in the study.

A total of 60 patients who met the inclusion criteria of the study were divided into 2 groups (30 patients in each group) with simple randomization method by using a table of random numbers created on the computer. The researchers who made the assessment measurements were unaware of which patient was in which group. Statistical analysis of the results was performed by a biostatistician who had no information about the therapies the patient groups received.

All the patients included in the study received a total of 15 sessions of physical therapy program 5 times a week for 3 weeks. All the patients received hot pack at 60oC for 20 minutes and conventional TENS at 80 Hz for 20 minutes for their involved shoulder. In addition to these therapies, the patients in group 1 received US and those in group 2 received HILT. After physical therapy, all the participants received therapeutic exercise program (3 sets of 10 reps with 3-minute intervals between the sets) consisting of active-assisted ROM, passive stretching and Codman exercises for their shoulder joint for 30 minutes in accompany with a physiotherapist. Interventions for groups; Grup 1 (US) = US + Hot Pack + TENS + Therapeutic Exercise Program Grup 2 (HILT) = HILT + Hot Pack + TENS + Therapeutic Exercise Program The patients were assessed with the measurements of visual analogue scale (VAS)-pain, Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and ROM with goniometer before and at the end of the treatment and in the posttreatment 1st and 6th months.

Being tested
Ultrasound Therapy (US), High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT)
Keywords
physical therapy modalities, Adhesive capsulitis, high-intensity laser therapy, ultrasound therapy, frozen shoulder
Medical subject headings
Bursitis, Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Ultrasound Therapy (US)Device

    Also called Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), Hot Pack, Therapeutic Exercise Program

    All the patients included in the study received a total of 15 sessions of physical therapy program 5 times a week for 3 weeks.

    Physical Therapy Program;

    • Hot Pack at 60 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes
    • TENS at 80 Hz for 20 minutes
    • Therapeutic exercise program (3 sets of 10 reps with 3-minute intervals between the sets) consisting of active-assisted ROM, passive stretching and Codman exercises for their shoulder joint for 30 minutes in accompany with a physiotherapist.
  • High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT)Device

    Also called Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), Hot Pack, Therapeutic Exercise Program

    All the patients included in the study received a total of 15 sessions of physical therapy program 5 times a week for 3 weeks.

    Physical Therapy Program;

    • Hot Pack at 60 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes
    • TENS at 80 Hz for 20 minutes
    • Therapeutic exercise program (3 sets of 10 reps with 3-minute intervals between the sets) consisting of active-assisted ROM, passive stretching and Codman exercises for their shoulder joint for 30 minutes in accompany with a physiotherapist.
Study groups in NCT05210036
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Ultrasound TherapyActive comparatorThe patients in group 1 received therapeutic US with BTL-4710 ultrasound device. The therapeutic US was administered at the frequency of 3 megahertz, intensity of 1.5 w/cm2 and an area of 25 cm2 for 5 minutes in the continue mode. The procedure of therapeutic US was performed by a physiotherapist experienced in using the device for 15 sessions in total 5 times a week for 3 weeks.
Receives: Device: Ultrasound Therapy (US)
High-Intensity Laser TherapyActive comparatorThe patients in group 2 received HILT with BTL-6000 high-intensity laser device. The therapy consisted of 2 stages in each session. * The first stage was performed in analgesic mode for analgesic effect at the frequency of 25 Hz, in the wavelength of 1064 nm, the power of 8 watt, the dose of 12 j/cm2, the area of 25 cm2, and 300 j in total for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. * The second stage was performed in bio-stimulating mode for biostimulation effect in the wavelength of 1064 nm, the power of 7 watt, the dose of 100 j/cm2, the area of 25 cm2, and 2500 j in total for 5 minutes and 57 seconds. The total length of administration was approximately 8.5 minutes for each stage. The procedure of the therapy was performed by a physiotherapist experienced in using the device for 9 sessions in total 3 times a week for 3 weeks.
Receives: Device: High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Visual analogue scale (VAS)-pain,

    VAS-pain has proven to be reliable and valid method in determining the degree of pain. It is a 100 mm straight line in horizontal axis. Distance from the lowest VAS level to point that the patient marked was measured in mm (0-100) and numerical values of patient's pain severity were determined.

    Measured: Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline, immediately after treatment, and at 1 and 6 months post-treatment.

  2. Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI)

    SPADI developed to assess the shoulder pain and disability consists of two parts. In part 1, a total of 5 questions in pain subgroup assess pain of the patient within the last week (VAS, 0: no pain and 10: worst possible pain) and in part 2, a total of 8 questions in disability subgroup assess the degree of difficulty in movement of the patient within the last 1 week (VAS; 0: no difficulty and 10: needs help). A total score of 0 means maximum well-being while the score of 130 means maximum sickness in SPADI consisting of 13 questions in total. In our study, SPADI was assessed separately as Shoulder Pain Index (SPI), Shoulder Disability Index (SDI) and total SPADI.

    Measured: Shoulder pain and disability were assessed using the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) at baseline, immediately after treatment, and at 1 and 6 months post-treatment.

  3. Joint range of motion (ROM)

    Detection of improvements in joint range of motion (ROM) with goniometer

    Measured: Patients were assessed with measurements of ROM with goniometer before and at the end of the treatment and in the post-treatment 1 and 6 months.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Jan 2022
  2. Study start15 Nov 2015
  3. Primary completion15 May 2016
  4. Study completion30 Dec 2016

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
60 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05210036
Sponsor's protocol ID
Physical Medicine
Status last verified
Nov 2026
First submitted
30 Dec 2021
Last updated
4 Nov 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Ultrasound Therapy (US) and High-Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT) in people with Adhesive Capsulitis of Shoulder and Pain, run by Balikesir University.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 11 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 4 Nov 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Visual analogue scale (VAS)-pain, (time frame: Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline, immediately after treatment, and at 1 and 6 months post-treatment.). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 4 Nov 2026.

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