We set up Isometric exercises for patients with a glenohumeral joint contracture to do. The series of exercises consists of an abduction and an external rotation every 5 seconds, and internal rotation movements with a 5-second-rest interposed between each movement.
The patients were ordered to keep their shoulders in the neut r al position while doing these exercises. We demanded that they do these exercises for about 10 minutes, twice a day at least.
No patients had any local analgesics injected into their subacromial bursanor glenohumeral joint during this 4-week-isometric contraction exercise period.
Loxoprofen sodium was prescribed as a painkiller when the patients wanted it.4 weeks later, we investigated the effects of these exercises in the relief of pain and recovery of motion.3 levels of pain were used in this study: better, no change, worse, compared with the pain the patients had when they started these exercises. The range of motion was indicated in total degrees of flexion, abduction and external rotation.
Considering a margin of error, a 20-degree-increase or even from the beginning was considered as an -Improvement- and a 20-degree-decrease or even was considered as an -Aggravation-.
We investigated 29 patients' 30 shoulders aged 56.9 years old on average. A relief of pain was observed in 64% of the patients and a recovery of motion in 67%.
