OBJECTIVE: To review recent research on the efficacy of physical therapy for patients with adhesive capsulitis. DESIGN: Search of Medline and CINAHL databases for studies published between January 1990 and December 2000. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Non-operative experimental or descriptive research-based outcomes studies of physical therapy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Methodological quality scoring using 16 predetermined criteria with 100% (16/16) indicating highest quality. RESULTS: Quality scores of the 12 studies that met inclusion criteria ranged from 38% to 69% (mean 54%). By design, scores were highest for the reviewed retrospective and randomised controlled studies. CONCLUSIONS: How efficacious physical therapy is for patients with adhesive capsulitis is uncertain. Reviewed studies suggest that many patients treated with physical therapy benefited from reduced symptoms, increased mobility, and/or functional improvement. However, the lack of rigour and poor standardisation of terminology, methodology, and outcome measurements in these investigations undermines their validity and clinical application. More rigorous investigations are needed to compare the effects and costs of individual physical therapy interventions.

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