The goal of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of individual exercises performed as classic rehabilitation or a home program on the clinical progression of patients with shoulder stiffness. Based on this information, the secondary goal was to develop a new rehabilitation protocol.

This prospective, comparative series included 148 cases of shoulder stiffness. There were three treatment groups: T1: classic rehabilitation performed below the pain threshold (58 cases); T2: home program with provocation above the pain threshold (59 cases); T3: home program supervised by a physical therapist (31 cases). The execution, pain level and time spent doing each exercise were compiled for each work session – every day for the first 6 weeks, then every week up to 3 months. Clinical (Constant score) and range of motion evaluations were performed at enrolment, week 6 and month 3.Changes were compared between groups; correlation tests were used to analyse the effectiveness of each exercise during each session.

Other than physical therapy and balneotherapy, classic rehabilitation exercises had a negative effect on clinical progression during the first 3 to 5 weeks (P<0.05), but this did not hinder the occurrence of a slow, continuous clinical improvement (P<0.05). Home programs led to rapid functional progression with improvement directly related to the number of exercises actually performed (P<0.05), however, pain during the day increased and pain at night decreased. Supervision by a physical therapist helped to optimize the home program, with the same result at week 6, but a better result at month 3 (P<0.05).

Based on the results of this study, a new treatment protocol for shoulder stiffness was proposed that combines an intensive patient home program with a well-informed physical therapist, who progressively adds classic rehabilitation techniques when they provide the best treatment value for each exercise. Patient education is the key to treatment success.

Level III, control cases, prospective, comparative.