J Korean Pain Soc.  1998 Oct;11(2):226-229.

Comparison of Suprascapular Nerve Block and Shoulder Joint Injection for Treatment of Frozen Shoulder

• Jeong HG
• Lee SG

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Treatment for frozen shoulder is various and difficult. It is important for pain clinicians to plan more effective and simpler treatment modalities. Pain clinicians have done suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) for treatment of frozen shoulder, but the effectiveness of treatment has been unsatisfactory. Shoulder joint injection (SJI) using local anesthetics and steroid mixture is a relatively simple procedure. This study was performed to compare therapeutic effects of SSNB and SJI in frozen shoulder.
METHODS
Eighty patients suffering from frozen shoulder were randomly divided into two groups. Group 1 had been treated with SSNB and physiotherapy for 3 weeks. Group 2 had been treated with SJI and physiotherapy for The same duration. Pain scores and treatment results were compared and analyzed at the time of 2 months after treatment started.
RESULTS
The VAS scores after SJI were lower than those of SSNB. Therapeutic results according to Haggart's classifications were significantly effective in group 2.
CONCLUSION
These results show that SJI is more effective than SSNB for treatment of frozen shoulder.

Keyword

Anesthetic technique, suprascapular nerve block, shoulder joint injection; Pain, frozen shoulder

MeSH Terms

Anesthetics, Local
Bursitis*
Classification
Humans
Nerve Block*
Shoulder Joint*
Shoulder*
Anesthetics, Local