The Impact of Eight Weeks of Corrective Exercises on Postural Parameters, Range of Motion, and Shoulder Joint Pain in Women with Frozen Shoulder and Upper Cross Syndrome

Incorrect posture contributes to a frozen shoulder; this study explored the effects of eight weeks of corrective exercises on postural parameters, range of motion, and shoulder joint pain in women with frozen shoulder and upper cross syndrome.

A quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design was conducted. Thirty women aged 40 to 60 years with frozen shoulder and upper cross syndrome were purposefully selected and allocated into control and experimental groups. Pretest assessments included forward head angle (FHA) and forward shoulder angle (FSA) measured using Kinovea software, thoracic curvature assessed with a flexible ruler, range of motion of the shoulder joint (external rotation, abduction, and flexion) measured with a goniometer, and shoulder joint pain evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS). The experimental group performed corrective exercises for eight weeks, while the control group continued their daily activities. Post-test assessments were conducted, and covariance tests and paired-sample t-test analysis were employed for between-group and within-group comparisons.

The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in shoulder joint range of motion (P=0.001), FHA (P=0.001), FSA (P=0.008), thoracic curvature (P=0.001), and shoulder joint pain (P=0.001) following corrective exercises.

It is recommended that trainers and therapists utilize the corrective exercises outlined in this study to enhance shoulder joint range of motion posture and alleviate pain in women with frozen shoulders and upper cross syndrome.