Intra-articular corticosteroid injection bests hydrostatic shoulder distention for short-term pain relief in idiopathic frozen shoulder: study

Written by Dr Supreeth D R Published On 2025-07-23T20:30:00+05:30 | Updated On 23 July 2025 8:30 PM IST

Intra-articular corticosteroid injection bests hydrostatic shoulder distention for short-term pain relief in idiopathic frozen shoulder: study

Idiopathic frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is a common and debilitating condition, characterized by progressive restriction of shoulder movement. Non-randomized interventional treatments, such as intraarticular corticosteroid injections and hydrostatic (hydrodilatation) distention, are commonly employed when conservative therapy fails.

Muhammad Anas Ghazi et al conducted a study to compare the short-term effectiveness of intra-articular corticosteroid injection versus hydrostatic distention, in terms of pain relief and functional improvement in patients with idiopathic frozen shoulder.

A total of 108 patients, aged 35-70 years, with frozen-phase idiopathic frozen shoulder (>3 months’ duration), were assigned to two treatment groups using non-random, consecutive allocation: Group A (n = 54) received an intra-articular corticosteroid injection, and Group B (n = 54) underwent hydrostatic shoulder distention. Patients were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain and the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) for function.

Key findings of the study were:

• Both groups showed significant improvements in pain and function over time (p < 0.001).

• Group A demonstrated superior outcomes at 12 weeks in VAS (2.1 ± 0.9 vs. 2.6 ± 1.0; p = 0.027) and SPADI (28.6 ± 6.3 vs. 32.9 ± 6.5; p = 0.006).

• “Very satisfied” patients were more frequent in Group A (28 patients; 64.81%) than in Group B (35 patients; 51.85%).

The authors concluded – “In summary, this research shows that, for individuals with idiopathic frozen shoulder, intra-articular corticosteroid injections are superior to hydrostatic shoulder distention in terms of reducing pain and enhancing shoulder function. The data show that the corticosteroid injection group experienced better levels of pain relief, functional improvement, and patient satisfaction. In the short term, corticosteroid injections appear to provide more rapid and longer-lasting effects, even though both therapies are effective. Further evaluation of the long-term safety and effectiveness of these therapies in a broader and more diverse population will require additional studies with multicenter data and longer follow-up.”

MBBS, Dip. Ortho, DNB ortho, MNAMS

Dr Supreeth D R (MBBS, Dip. Ortho, DNB ortho, MNAMS) is a practicing orthopedician with interest in medical research and publishing articles. He completed MBBS from mysore medical college, dip ortho from Trivandrum medical college and sec. DNB from Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru. He has expirence of 7years in the field of orthopedics. He has presented scientific papers & posters in various state, national and international conferences. His interest in writing articles lead the way to join medical dialogues. He can be contacted at editorial@medicaldialogues.in.