Frozen shoulder study: is physical therapy worth the extra cost?
NCT ID NCT02283996
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at whether adding physical therapy to steroid injections helps people with frozen shoulder more than steroid injections alone. About 260 adults with frozen shoulder will be split into two groups: one gets physical therapy plus steroid shots, the other gets steroid shots and is watched. The goal is to see if physical therapy improves shoulder function or just adds extra cost.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- physical therapy and depot methylprednisolone (steroid injection)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that physical therapy adds little benefit over steroid injections alone, potentially saving patients time and money.
- What could go wrong
- This is a phase 4 study comparing standard treatments, not a new breakthrough. The researchers actually expect no major difference between groups, so it may simply confirm current practice.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 260 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2014
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patient must be 18 years or older * Must meet the following definition for adhesive capsulitis as defined by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: Self-limiting condition resulting from any inflammatory process about the shoulder in which capsular scar tissue is produced, resulting in pain and limited range of motion; also called frozen shoulder * Must be amenable to randomization into either cohort Exclusion Criteria: * Non-English speaking patients * Pregnant women (women of childbearing potential will be advised to undergo regular pregnancy testing) * Patients who had previously undergone operative therapy for the condition
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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MGH, Massachusetts General Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can retraining the brain unlock a frozen shoulder?
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- Hormone therapy may thaw frozen shoulders faster — a trial puts it to the test