Spencer's Technique Versus Mulligan's Technique for Stage II Frozen Shoulder

NCT07844135 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: SU91-MSRSW-F24-065
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 72
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Stage II frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is associated with pain, stiffness, restricted shoulder range of motion, and reduced quality of life. This randomized controlled trial will compare Spencer's Muscle Energy Technique with Mulligan's Mobilization with Movement in adults with Stage II idiopathic frozen shoulder. Seventy-two participants will be randomized to two groups of 36. Both groups will receive their allocated manual therapy together with conventional physiotherapy for four weeks, three sessions per week. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline and after the 4-week intervention using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, goniometric shoulder range of motion, and the SF-36 questionnaire.

Conditions

Frozen Shoulder; Adhesive Capsulitis

Keywords

Stage II frozen shoulder; Spencer's technique; Mulligan technique; Mobilization with Movement; Pain; Shoulder range of motion; Quality of life

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Pain Intensity Assessed by Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)

  Pain intensity will be assessed using the 11-point Numeric Pain Rating Scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain).

  Baseline and immediately after the 4-week intervention

• Shoulder Range of Motion Assessed by Goniometer

  Shoulder flexion, abduction, and external rotation will be measured in degrees using a goniometer.

  Baseline and immediately after the 4-week intervention

• Health-Related Quality of Life Assessed by SF-36

  Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Domain scores are transformed to a 0 to 100 scale, with higher scores indicating better health status.

  Baseline and immediately after the 4-week intervention

Study Arms (2)

Group A: Spencer's Technique

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive Spencer's Muscle Energy Technique together with conventional physiotherapy three sessions per week for four weeks.

Other: Spencer's Muscle Energy Technique With Conventional Physiotherapy

Group B: Mulligan's Technique

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive Mulligan's Mobilization with Movement together with conventional physiotherapy three sessions per week for four weeks.

Other: Mulligan's Mobilization With Movement With Conventional Physiotherapy

Interventions

Spencer's Muscle Energy Technique With Conventional Physiotherapy OTHER

Spencer's technique will use sequential passive shoulder movements including extension, flexion, circumduction with compression, circumduction with distraction, abduction, internal rotation, and external rotation. Conventional physiotherapy will include moist heat, shoulder isometrics, pulley and finger-ladder exercises, pectoral stretching, and Codman's pendulum exercises. Treatment will be provided three sessions per week for four weeks, approximately 30 to 40 minutes per session.

Also known as: Spencer's Technique

Group A: Spencer's Technique

Mulligan's Mobilization With Movement With Conventional Physiotherapy OTHER

Mulligan's Mobilization with Movement will use a passive accessory glide applied in the direction of arm movement within the pain-free range. The protocol describes three sets of 10 repetitions with two minutes of rest between sets. Conventional physiotherapy will include moist heat, shoulder isometrics, pulley and finger-ladder exercises, pectoral stretching, and Codman's pendulum exercises. Treatment will be provided three sessions per week for four weeks, approximately 30 to 40 minutes per session.

Also known as: Mulligan MWM

Group B: Mulligan's Technique

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 30 Years - 55 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Male and female participants aged 30 to 55 years.
• History of idiopathic Stage II frozen shoulder.
• Experiencing shoulder pain for at least 3 months.

You may not qualify if:

• History of rotator cuff tears, rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, tumors of the shoulder region, or thoracic outlet syndrome.
• History of fracture of the upper limb involving the affected shoulder.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Superior University: lead

Study Sites (2)

City Hospital

Multan, Punjab Province, Pakistan

Location

Ibn e Sina Hospital and Research Institute

Multan, Punjab Province, Pakistan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Bursitis; Pain

Interventions

Movement

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Muhammad Naveed Babur

  Superior University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Muhammad Naveed Babur

CONTACT

+92 333 5118324; Naveedphysio@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Single-blind design: the outcome assessor will be blinded to participant group allocation.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: Participants will be randomized into two parallel intervention groups of 36 participants each using a chit-and-lottery method.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 22, 2026
• First Posted: September 28, 2026
• Study Start: October 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2027
• Last Updated: September 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (2)