The results of the UK FROST (UK Frozen Shoulder Trial) study has recently been published.
This study looked to see which treatment options are best for adults with frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder is the term used for when someone’s shoulder has had pain and been stiff for a long time.1
The study compared 3 different treatments:
- 1) A steroid injection and shoulder movements under anaesthetic
- 2) A surgery called arthroscopic capsular release (ACR)
- 3) A steroid injection with physiotherapy
Patients were randomly allocated to one of these treatments. When researchers looked at the results, patients showed improvements in all 3 groups. They found that:
- The patients who had physiotherapy and a steroid injection were most likely to need further treatment.
- The ACR surgery carries the most risk and costs the most to the NHS.
- The shoulder movements under anaesthetic + steroid injections seemed to be the best option as it costs less but still provide the benefits to patients.
These results allows patients to talk to their doctor about the different treatments and discuss which are best for them.
NHS Grampian is proud to have been involved in this study and help with finding out which treatment options work best. In Grampian, the study took place at Woodend Hospital elective orthopaedics. There was a varied team involved but the team wanted to praise the local physiotherapists in particular. They were vital to the success of the study given the treatment options available in the study.
The study team have created an animation which explains the study.
You can also read the published article in The Lancet.