The effectiveness of joint mobilization techniques for range of motion in adult patients with primary adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To determine the effectiveness of joint mobilization techniques in the range of motion in adult patients with primary adhesive shoulder capsulitis. Methods Systematic review with meta-analysis. The search was performed in the MEDLINE/PubMed, PEDro, CENTRAL, LILACS, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus and Web of Science databases. The eligibility criteria were studies that used an oscillatory and/or maintained joint mobilization technique applied alone or added-on to a treatment program in patients with primary adhesive capsulitis at any stage. Two authors carried out the selection of studies and the extraction of data, independently. Risk of bias was evaluated according to the tool proposed by Cochrane. Results We included 14 studies with variable risk of bias. Posterior mobilization compared to any other technique was not significantly different (0.95 degrees; 95% CI: -5.93 to 4.02), whereas compared to a control group, the difference is 26.80 degrees (CI 95%: 22.71 to 30.89). When applying a set of joint techniques versus a control group, for abduction the difference is 20.14 degrees (95% CI: 10.22 to 30.05). In both cases, the results are statistically significant, and the effect size is moderate. Conclusions The evidence is not conclusive about the effectiveness of joint mobilization. When compared with treatments that do not include manual therapy, joint mobilization seems to have a favorable effect on the range of motion and pain reduction in patients with primary adhesive shoulder capsulitis.