Objective. To determine whether the pain, contracture, and disability assoc
iated with idiopathic frozen shoulder are diminished by a series of 3 indir
ect bupivacaine suprascapular nerve blocks delivered in an ambulatory care
clinic.
Methods. A double blind randomized controlled trial of patients referred by
primary care and specialty clinics in Montreal to an ambulatory tertiary c
are academic facility, Patients and controls underwent a series of 3 indire
ct suprascapular nerve blocks at 7 day intervals using either 10 cc bupivac
aine 0.5 (Marcaine) in the treatment group or 10 cc of physiological saline
in controls. Subjects in both groups were taught a program of shoulder ran
ge of motion exercises to be done at home. The primary outcome measure was
the McGill-Melzack Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) short form at 1 month post-rand
omization (2 weeks after last injection). The secondary outcome measures we
re disability measured by the simple shoulder rest and glenohumeral joint c
ontracture measured by shoulder range of motion measurements.
Results, Thirty-four subjects were randomized from 58 screened. Average age
of subjects was 52 years. Mean duration of pain prior to randomization was
one year. Dropout rate was 11% in the treatment group, 30% in the placebo
group. A 64% reduction in pain in the treatment group versus 13% in the pla
cebo group was observed at one month as measured by the MPQ multidimensiona
l pain descriptors score (p = 0.03), A nonsignificant 15.8% improvement in
shoulder function in the treatment group versus 4% in the placebo group (p
= 0.24) was also noted. No improvement in shoulder range of movement was no
ted. No side effects other than transient vagal symptoms and local tenderne
ss at the injection site were reported.
Conclusion. The use of bupivacaine suprascapular nerve blocks was effective
in reducing the pain of frozen shoulder at one month, Clinical studies wit
h a larger number of subjects and a longer study period will help determine
the duration and nature of the effect of bupivacaine suprascapular nerve b
locks in treating the pain, disability, and glenohumeral joint contracture
of frozen shoulder.