People with "frozen shoulder" pain needed for UQ study

University of Queensland School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences researchers are investigating how and why the condition of "frozen shoulder" occurs.

This problem involves shoulder pain, which can often be debilitating, associated with a gradual onset of stiffness of movement.

It can often be associated with an injury but may occur without prior damage to the shoulder. It occurs most commonly in females and may be associated with conditions such as diabetes.

It is not known however why this condition occurs or why it is associated with pain. Physiotherapy can play an important role in maintaining movement and decreasing pain.

However, in order to ensure the most effective treatment it is important to understand the underlying cause of the problem.

The research project aims to provide answers to these questions by looking at the nature of the pain in this condition and comparing it to another common shoulder problem - "rotator cuff tear".

The rotator cuff is the group of muscles responsible for providing movement and stability at the shoulder joint. These muscles can be torn through injury or due to degeneration and can be a source of shoulder pain during movement.

Research will use specific equipment to investigate the sensitivity of the shoulder to pain and movement in both conditions.

If you have either of these shoulder problems and want to participate in the study or for further information about the research, please contact Tina Souvlis or Katherine Pietsch (telephone 07 3365 1644 or email t.souvlis@shrs.uq.edu.au).