Association of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms in Patients with Adhesive Capsulitis / Associação de sintomas ansiosos e depressivos em pacientes com capsulite adesiva

Abstract Objective The present study aimed to assess the association between anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with adhesive capsulitis. Methods This was a cross-sectional study carried out in a single center from a tertiary hospital with patients presenting with secondary adhesive capsulitis. The control group did not have shoulder disease, thyroid disease, anxiety, and/or depression. The instrument used was the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). An analysis of covariance compared HADS scores between groups. The significance level was 5%. Results The final sample consisted of 17 patients (case group) and 27 (control group). The Shapiro-Wilk test revealed normal distribution (p> 0.05). A HADS score > 0.70 (Cronbach alpha) was reliable and presented good internal consistency. Patients with adhesive capsulitis reported "doubtful" (average/standard deviation = 8.88/4.50) "anxious symptoms" (p= 0.019) but no "depressive symptoms" (average/standard deviation = 6.41/3.69), despite p= 0.015. Conclusion There is a "doubtful" positive association between anxiety symptoms and adhesive capsulitis but a negative association with depressive symptoms.

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar a associação entre sintomas ansiosos e depressivos em pacientes com capsulite adesiva. Métodos Trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado em centro único de um hospital terciário com pacientes portadores de capsulite adesiva secundária. O grupo controle não apresentava doença do ombro, tireoidopatias e nem ansiedade e/ou depressão. O instrumento utilizado foi a escala hospitalar de ansiedade e depressão. A análise da covariância foi utilizada para comparação dos escores do Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, na sigla em inglês) entre os grupos. O nível de significância foi de 5%. Resultados A amostra final foi de 17 pacientes (caso) e 27 (controle). Os dados amostrais apresentaram distribuição normal por meio do teste de Shapiro-Wilk (p> 0,05). A instrumento HADS com pontuação > 0,70 (alfa de Cronbach) se mostrou confiável e com boa consistência interna. Os pacientes com capsulite adesiva, no quesito "sintomas ansiosos" (p= 0,019), relataram sintomas no patamar de "duvidosos" (média/desvio padrão = 8,88/4,50). Eles não apresentaram "sintomas depressivos" (média/desvio padrão = 6,41/3,69), apesar do p= 0,015. Conclusão Existe uma associação positiva "duvidosa" entre sintomas ansiosos e capsulite adesiva, mas negativa para sintomas depressivos.

A significant relationship between personality traits and adhesive capsulitis.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the associations between adhesive capsulitis (AC) and a specific psychological profile. METHODS: We assessed 72 patients with phase-II AC. In our study, 36 patients were affected by primary disease and 36 by secondary disease. The inclusion criteria were as follows: unilateral AC and pain in the shoulder for at least two months. The exclusion criteria were: psychiatric and neurological manifestations with a previous diagnosis and inability to comprehend the instruments. Outcomes were determined at 52 weeks. Shoulder pain severity was assessed with the Visual Analog Scale. We also measured the range of motion with a universal goniometer and the strength with the Medical Research Council. We assessed the personality traits of our patients with the Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. RESULTS: Patients with primary AC needed more time to improve the symptomatology compared to the group with the secondary disease (p<0.01). Patients with primary AC complained of severe and lasting pain more frequently than patients with the secondary disease (p< 0.01). In patients with primary disease, the prevalence of perfectionism, low levels of novelty seeking, and high levels of harm avoidance were 88.2 and 86.2%, and 80.4, respectively, and below 20 percent in patients with secondary AC disease. CONCLUSION: We found a significant correlation between primary AC and particular personality traits, indicating an interaction between psychological and somatic factors.

A significant relationship between personality traits and adhesive capsulitis

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE We investigated the associations between adhesive capsulitis (AC) and a specific psychological profile. METHODS We assessed 72 patients with phase-II AC. In our study, 36 patients were affected by primary disease and 36 by secondary disease. The inclusion criteria were as follows: unilateral AC and pain in the shoulder for at least two months. The exclusion criteria were: psychiatric and neurological manifestations with a previous diagnosis and inability to comprehend the instruments. Outcomes were determined at 52 weeks. Shoulder pain severity was assessed with the Visual Analog Scale. We also measured the range of motion with a universal goniometer and the strength with the Medical Research Council. We assessed the personality traits of our patients with the Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale. RESULTS Patients with primary AC needed more time to improve the symptomatology compared to the group with the secondary disease (p<0.01). Patients with primary AC complained of severe and lasting pain more frequently than patients with the secondary disease (p< 0.01). In patients with primary disease, the prevalence of perfectionism, low levels of novelty seeking, and high levels of harm avoidance were 88.2 and 86.2%, and 80.4, respectively, and below 20 percent in patients with secondary AC disease. CONCLUSION We found a significant correlation between primary AC and particular personality traits, indicating an interaction between psychological and somatic factors.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Investigar as associações entre a capsulite adesiva (CA) e um perfil psicológico específico. METODOLOGIA Foram avaliados 72 pacientes com CA fase II. Em nosso estudo, 36 pacientes foram afetados pela doença primária e 36 pela secundária. Os critérios de inclusão foram os seguintes: CA unilateral e dor no ombro durante por pelo menos dois meses. Os critérios de exclusão foram: manifestações neurológicas e psiquiátricas com um diagnóstico prévio e incapacidade de compreender os instrumentos de medição utilizados. Os resultados foram determinados após 52 semanas. A intensidade da dor no ombro foi avaliada usando a Escala Visual Analógica. Também medimos a amplitude de movimento com um goniômetro universal e a força com a escala do Conselho de Pesquisa Médica. Avaliamos os traços da personalidade dos nossos pacientes através do Inventário de Temperamento e Caráter de Cloninger e da Escala Multidimensional de Perfeccionismo. RESULTADOS Pacientes com CA primária precisaram de mais tempo para melhorar a sintomatologia quando comparados ao grupo secundário (p<0,01). Pacientes com CA primária apresentaram mais queixas de dor intensa e duradoura do que pacientes secundários (p< 0,01). Em pacientes com a doença primária, a prevalência de perfeccionismo, baixos níveis de procura por novidade, e altos níveis de prevenção de danos foram 88,2, 86,2% e 80,4, respectivamente, e abaixo de 20% em pacientes secundários. CONCLUSÃO Encontramos uma correlação significativa entre CA primária e traços de personalidade específicos, indicando uma interação entre fatores psicológicos e somáticos.

Sleep quality, pain, anxiety, depression and quality of life in patients with frozen shoulder1.

BACKGROUND: Nocturnal shoulder pain could play an essential role in frozen shoulder (FS) and can lead to disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression and reduced quality of life (QoL). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine anxiety, depression, sleep quality and quality of life in patients with FS and compare these to healthy controls. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 148 participants (76 FS patients and 72 healthy controls). We obtained Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale short form (WHOQoL-BREF). RESULTS: FS patients had significantly higher scores for VAS and BAI (p< 0.001) than the control group. There was no significant difference between the BDI scores of the groups (p= 0.067). The WHOQoL-BREF scale of the physical, mental and environmental fields were significantly lower in the FS group (p< 0.001). FS patients had significantly lower sleep efficiency, and sleep disorders in terms of PSQI section scores (p< 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that there is a high prevalence and close relationships of pain, anxiety and sleep disturbance in patients with FS. Adding a psychiatric evaluation to the treatment of patients with FS may be beneficial.

Use of Pain Neuroscience Education, Tactile Discrimination, and Graded Motor Imagery in an Individual With Frozen Shoulder.

Study Design Case report. Background Aggressive physical therapy in the freezing stage of frozen shoulder may prolong the course of recovery. Central sensitization may play a role in the early stages of frozen shoulder. Pain neuroscience education, tactile discrimination, and graded motor imagery have been used in a number of conditions with central sensitization. The purpose of this case report was to describe the examination and treatment of a patient in the freezing stage of frozen shoulder using pain neuroscience education, tactile discrimination, and graded motor imagery. Case Description A 54-year-old woman with a diagnosis of frozen shoulder was referred by an orthopaedic surgeon following lack of progress after 4 weeks of intensive daily physical therapy. Pain at rest was 7/10, and her Shoulder Pain and Disability Index score was 64%. She had painful and limited active range of motion and elevated fear-avoidance beliefs. Tactile discrimination and limb laterality were impaired, with signs of central sensitization. A "top-down" approach using pain neuroscience education, tactile discrimination, and graded motor imagery was used for the first 6 weeks, followed by a "bottom-up" impairment-based approach. Outcomes The patient was seen for 20 sessions over 12 weeks. At discharge, her Shoulder Pain and Disability Index score was 22%, resting pain was 0/10, and fear-avoidance beliefs improved. Improvements in active range of motion, laterality, and tactile discrimination were also noted. Discussion Intensive physical therapy in the freezing stage of frozen shoulder may be detrimental to long-term outcomes. This case report suggests that a top-down approach may allow a quicker transition through the freezing stage of frozen shoulder. Level of Evidence Therapy, level 5. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(3):174-184. Epub 19 Dec 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7716.

Predicting outcome in frozen shoulder (shoulder capsulitis) in presence of comorbidity as measured with subjective health complaints and neuroticism.

BACKGROUND: There is a substantive lack of knowledge about comorbidity in patients with frozen shoulder. The aim of this study was to investigate whether subjective health complaints and Neuroticism would predict treatment outcome in patients diagnosed with frozen shoulder as measured by the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and change in SPADI. METHODS: A total of 105 patients with frozen shoulder were recruited for a randomised controlled trial, where 69 were in the intervention group and received intraarticular corticosteroid injections and 36 patients served as control group. The SPADI was used as the outcome measure after 8 weeks, and change in SPADI from baseline to 8 weeks as a measure of rate of recovery. To examine comorbidities, all participants completed the Subjective Health Complaints (SHC) questionnaire with its five subscales, and the Neuroticism (N) component of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised. Multiple regression analysis was performed with the baseline comorbidity variables that correlated significantly with SPADI after 8 weeks, and with change in SPADI from baseline to 8 weeks, controlling for the variables intervention, age, gender and duration of pain. RESULTS: In this study, patients with frozen shoulder had little comorbidity as measured with SHC and scored normally with respect to Neuroticism. Only the Pseudoneurology subscale in SHC correlated significantly with SPADI and had significant predictive power (p < 0.001) for the outcome at 8 weeks. The intervention group exhibited significant statistical predictive power (p < 0.001) for the treatment outcome as measured by a change in SPADI from baseline to 8 weeks. Being female also had some predictive significance for change in SPADI (p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: Psychometric parameters as measured by the Pseudoneurology subscale in SHC questionnaire did predict the treatment outcome in frozen shoulder as measured by SPADI at 8 weeks, but not by change in SPADI from baseline to 8 weeks. One may conclude that psychometric parameters may affect symptoms, but do not predict the rate of recovery in frozen shoulder. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT01570985 .

Satisfaction with Life in Orofacial Pain Disorders: Associations and Theoretical Implications.

AIMS: To test if patients with masticatory myofascial pain, local myalgia, centrally mediated myalgia, disc displacement, capsulitis/synovitis, or continuous neuropathic pain differed in self-reported satisfaction with life. The study also tested if satisfaction with life was similarly predicted by measures of physical, emotional, and social functioning across disorders. METHODS: Satisfaction with life, fatigue, affective distress, social support, and pain data were extracted from the medical records of 343 patients seeking treatment for chronic orofacial pain. Patients were grouped by primary diagnosis assigned following their initial appointment. Satisfaction with life was compared between disorders, with and without pain intensity entered as a covariate. Disorder-specific linear regression models using physical, emotional, and social predictors of satisfaction with life were computed. RESULTS: Patients with centrally mediated myalgia reported significantly lower satisfaction with life than did patients with any of the other five disorders. Inclusion of pain intensity as a covariate weakened but did not eliminate the effect. Satisfaction with life was predicted by measures of physical, emotional, and social functioning, but these associations were not consistent across disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that reduced satisfaction with life in patients with centrally mediated myalgia is not due only to pain intensity. There may be other factors that predispose people to both reduced satisfaction with life and centrally mediated myalgia. Furthermore, the results suggest that satisfaction with life is differentially influenced by physical, emotional, and social functioning in different orofacial pain disorders.

Influencia de los estados emocionales en el proceso de recuperación de mujeres con capsulitis adhesiva en el ámbito laboral / Influence of emotional states in the recovery process of women with adhesive capsulitis in the workplace

Objetivo: Documentar si la evolución postquirúrgica y rehabilitadora de mujeres diagnosticadas de capsulitis adhesiva de hombro puede estar influenciada por estados emocionales negativos derivados del estrés y la depresión. Material y método: Estudio de metodología cualitativa, observacional, deductivo y descriptivo, a través de la técnica de entrevista individual semiestructurada, y con un muestreo intencionado. Se seleccionaron 15 pacientes diagnosticadas de capsulitis adhesiva de hombro. Como complemento, se emplearon dos cuestionarios validados que aportaron información acerca del nivel de estrés y sintomatología depresiva: PSS y GHQ28. Resultados: Del análisis y posterior codificación abierta de las entrevistas emergieron cuatro grandes categorías: «el accidente», «la situación laboral», «la situación anímica» y «las relaciones con el entorno». Cuatro pacientes presentaron en el último mes estrés leve (26,7%) y 11 pacientes estrés moderado-severo (73,4%). Por último, se realizó una comparativa con tablas de contingencia para ver si existía una relación causa-efecto entre padecer capsulitis adhesiva y sufrir estrés emocional (p=0,323). Conclusión: La relación causa-efecto entre padecer depresión y sufrir capsulitis adhesiva no es significativa (AU)

Objective: To document whether postoperative evolution and rehabilitation care of women diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis of shoulder can be influenced by negative emotional states arising from stress and depression. Material and method: A qualitative, observational, descriptive and deductive research was completed. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and with a purposive sampling. Fifteen patients diagnosed with adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder were selected. In addition, two validated questionnaires, PSS and GHQ28, were used. These questionnaires provided information about the level of stress and depressive symptoms. Results: The interviews were analyzed and subsequently coded. After the analysis, four major categories emerged: «the accident», «employment status», «the state of mind» and «relations with the environment». Four patients experienced mild stress in the last month (26.7%) and 11 patients moderate-severe stress (73.4%). Finally, a comparison was performed with contingency tables to see if there was a cause-effect relationship between having adhesive capsulitis and suffering from emotional stress (p=0,323). Conclusion: The cause-effect relationship between having depression and suffering from adhesive capsulitis is not significant (AU)

A report on the prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with frozen shoulder and their relations to disease status.

Musculoskeletal diseases often have concomitant psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Frozen shoulder (FS) is a musculoskeletal disease, and causes pain and stiffness in the shoulder. The relationship between FS and psychological disorders has rarely been investigated. This cross-sectional study was to evaluate the risk of depression and anxiety in patients with primary FS, and to explore the relationship between psychological disorders and disease status. In this study, anxiety and depression were evaluated in 124 patients (78 women and 46 men) with primary FS, compared with 130 (72 women and 58 men) age-, sex- and education matched healthy controls between March 2009 and June 2012. Simple shoulder test (SST); shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI); the range of motion (ROM); visual analog scales (VAS) for pain and sleep disturbances; hospital anxiety and depression scale for depression (HADS-D) and for anxiety (HADS-A); and health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) were used to assess clinical and psychological status. In FS patients, the prevalence of depression and anxiety was 28.2 and 24.2%, respectively. Compared with the healthy controls, higher HADS-D (6.41 ± 3.69, 5. 23 ± 2.87 p = 0.006) and HADS-A (6.16 ± 3.62, 4.90 ± 3.05 p = 0.003) were detected. The FS patients with depression or anxiety had significantly lower SST and HAQ scores, significantly higher VAS and SPADI scores and significantly higher prevalence of sleep disturbances compared with the FS patients with normal psychological status. The correlations of SST, SPADI, VAS and sleep disturbances but not ROM with HADS-A and HADS-D were significant ( p < 0.05). This finding indicates that anxiety and depression may coexist with FS; patients with psychological disorders have more severe self-reported shoulder pain and functional restriction.

Frozen shoulder and the Big Five personality traits.

BACKGROUND: In the past, several studies have suggested the existence of a "periarthritic personality" in patients with frozen shoulder. We conducted a study to determine differences in personality traits in patients with primary and secondary frozen shoulders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 118 patients (84 women and 34 men; mean age, 53.8 years; SD 7.56) with a frozen shoulder. Of these patients, 48 had an idiopathic frozen shoulder and 70 had a secondary frozen shoulder. Personality traits were determined by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) scale. This questionnaire measures the 5 major personality traits and is based on the norms determined in a neutral test situation for 2415 controls. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, no differences in personality traits were found in patients with primary and secondary frozen shoulder, except for Conscientiousness and Extraversion, for which patients with secondary frozen shoulder scored significantly higher than healthy controls. Patients with primary frozen shoulder scored significantly higher on Openness to Experience than did patients with secondary frozen shoulder; on the other 4 Big Five personality traits, no significant differences were found between patients with primary and secondary frozen shoulder. More specifically, patients with idiopathic frozen shoulder did not score higher on the trait Neuroticism as would be expected from previous publications. CONCLUSIONS: Our study results do not indicate that patients with an idiopathic frozen shoulder have a specific personality compared with healthy controls. Only a few differences were found in personality traits when the entire frozen shoulder group was compared with healthy controls and between patients with primary and secondary frozen shoulders. The results of this study suggest that these differences are not sufficient to speak about a specific "frozen shoulder personality."

Corticosteroid injections for greater trochanteric pain syndrome: a randomized controlled trial in primary care.

PURPOSE: We undertook a study to evaluate the effectiveness of corticosteroid injections in primary care patients with greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS). METHODS: We evaluated the effect of corticosteroid injections compared with expectant treatment (usual care) in a pragmatic, multicenter, open-label, randomized clinical trial in the Netherlands. Patients (aged 18 to 80 years) with GTPS visiting 81 participating primary care physicians were randomly allocated to receive either local corticosteroid injections (n = 60) or usual care (n = 60). Primary outcomes of pain severity (numerical rating scale 0 to 10) and recovery (yes or no total or major recovery) were evaluated at 3-month and 12-month follow-up visits. Adverse events were collected at 6 weeks. RESULTS: At the 3-month follow-up visit, 34% of the patients in the usual care group had recovered compared with 55% in the injection group (adjusted OR = 2.38; 95% CI, 1.14-5.00, number needed to treat = 5). Pain severity at rest and on activity decreased in both groups, but the decrease was greater in the injection group, for an adjusted difference in pain at rest of 1.18 (95% CI, 0.31-2.05) and in pain with activity of 1.30 (95% CI, 0.32-2.29). At the 12-month follow-up, 60% of the patients in the usual care group had recovered compared with 61% in the injection group (OR = 1.05; 95% CI, 0.50-2.27). Pain severity at rest and on activity decreased in both groups and the 12-month follow-up showed no significant differences, with adjusted differences of 0.14 (95% CI, -0.75 to 1.04) for pain at rest and 0.45 (95% CI, -0.55 to 1.46) for pain with activity. Aside from a short period with superficial pain at the site of the injection, no differences in adverse events were found. CONCLUSION: In this first randomized controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of corticosteroid injections vs usual care in GTPS, a clinically relevant effect was shown at a 3-month follow-up visit for recovery and for pain at rest and with activity. At a 12-month follow-up visit, the differences in outcome were no longer present.

Management of chronic arthritis pain in the elderly.

Musculoskeletal pain in the elderly is common and disabling. As the conditions causing rheumatic pain, including osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis and soft-tissue conditions such as tendonitis and bursitis, are, for the most part, not curable, pain control is paramount in order to maintain quality of life. Pain management should be multimodal and tailored to the individual patient, and will likely include a combination of both nonpharmacological and pharmacological interventions. Nonpharmacological treatments begin with education of the patient, encouragement to practise self-management strategies and attention to healthy life habits such as weight control and regular physical activity and exercise. Advice in this regard may be effectively given by healthcare professionals other than physicians. Although herbal products and nutritional supplements are commonly used by patients, studies of their efficacy and safety, especially in the elderly, are limited. In contrast, topical applications, and in particular those containing NSAIDs, are being used more frequently, are associated with fewer adverse effects than oral preparations and offer a new and safer treatment alternative. Similarly, intra-articular and soft-tissue injections of corticosteroids provide an easy and cost-effective option for symptom relief with minimal risk. The use of any pharmacological agent in the elderly should be tempered with caution regarding increased sensitivity to medications, drug-drug interactions and associated co-morbidities. Therefore, the elderly will often require down-adjustment of dosage and careful attention to the risk/benefit ratio of the treatment. There is, however, no single ideal pain medication for management of rheumatic pain. The four broad categories of treatments, namely simple analgesics (i.e. paracetamol [acetaminophen]), NSAIDs, stronger analgesics (i.e. opioids) and adjuvant drugs, each have unique and particular concerns regarding their adverse effect profiles. The continued use of any medication should also be repeatedly assessed to ensure that efficacy is maintained. Throughout the treatment period, physicians must remain vigilant for emergent adverse effects. Patients and physicians should have realistic outcome goals for effective rheumatic pain management. Although complete pain relief is seldom achieved, modulation of pain and the associated components of sleep disturbance, fatigue and mood disorder will improve overall quality of life in the elderly. However, barriers to effective pain management from both the patient and the healthcare professional perspectives still exist, and will be overcome only by educational efforts. Successful rheumatic pain management in the elderly should begin with an accurate diagnosis by the physician, and patients must be realistic in their expectations. Treatments should be multimodal, with attention given to the co-morbidities of pain as well as the global health status of the patient. Whether or not an outcome is favourable should be determined not only by the treatment's impact on pain but also by its capacity to improve function and enhance quality of life. The wider range of treatment options now available is both useful and encouraging for the physician managing musculoskeletal aches and pain in the elderly.

Influence of comorbidity on self-assessment instrument scores of patients with idiopathic adhesive capsulitis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine whether comorbid factors influence the results of self-assessment instruments completed by patients with idiopathic adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. We hypothesized that an increased number of comorbidities would be correlated with greater pain and worse function as measured by general and shoulder-specific outcome tools. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients with phase-II adhesive capsulitis were prospectively evaluated with use of a general health questionnaire, a visual analog pain scale, the Simple Shoulder Test, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire, and the Short Form-36. There were seventy-one women and twenty-nine men, with a mean age of fifty-two years (range, thirty-six to eighty-two years). Comorbidities included medical factors (e.g., diabetes and heart disease) and social factors (e.g., tobacco use and pending litigation). Linear regression analysis was performed to determine correlations between the number of comorbidities and the results of the questionnaires. RESULTS: Patients with more comorbidities had significantly lower scores on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (p = 0.0005) and the Short Form-36 subscale of physical function (p = 0.0009) as well as poorer scores on the Simple Shoulder Test and the Short Form-36 subscales of physical role, social function, emotional role, and mental health. Although there was no correlation between increased comorbidity and pain as measured on the visual analog scale, the comfort/pain subscale of the Short Form-36 showed a significant correlation with increased comorbidity (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Idiopathic adhesive capsulitis is a debilitating condition. Comorbid factors have a significant effect on the pain and dysfunction (as measured on shoulder-specific and general health instruments) experienced by patients with this disorder. These findings can be applied to the evaluation of these patients and may help to identify patients who potentially require a longer treatment course or those whose outcome will be less satisfactory.