Objective
To compare the biomechanical properties of the glenohumeral joint capsule between adhesive capsulitis (AC) after breast cancer surgery and idiopathic AC and demonstrate the effects of hydrodilatation (HD) with corticosteroid injection for AC after breast cancer surgery.
Methods
Twenty-three prospective patients with AC after breast cancer surgery (BC group) and 44 retrospective patients with idiopathic AC without breast cancer (CON group) underwent HD with corticosteroid injection and home exercise training. We compared their biomechanical characteristics (capsular capacity, maximal pressure, and capsular stiffness). In the BC group, the passive range of motion (ROM) of the affected shoulder and a questionnaire (Shoulder Pain and Disability Index [SPADI]) were evaluated at baseline and 2 and 4 weeks after treatment.
Results
The BC group showed higher biomechanical characteristics (maximal pressure and capsular stiffness) than did the CON group. The mean maximal pressure and capsular stiffness were 519.67±120.90 mmHg and 19.69±10.58 mmHg/mL in the BC group and 424.78±104.42 mmHg and 11.55±7.77 mmHg/mL in the CON group (p=0.002 and p=0.001, respectively). And, the BC group showed significant improvements in all ROMs (abduction, flexion, and external rotation) and the SPADI pain and disability sub-scores following the treatment.
Conclusion
The glenohumeral joint capsular stiffness was greater in the patients with AC after breast cancer surgery than in those with idiopathic AC. HD with corticosteroid injection was effective in treating AC after breast cancer surgery.

Citations

• Manual therapy considerations for adhesive capsulitis in the breast cancer population: a clinical perspective
  Diana Garrett, Gary Kearns, Steve Karas
  Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy.2025; 33(6): 547.     CrossRef
• An update on rehabilitative treatment of shoulder disease after breast cancer care
  P. E. Ferrara, D. M. Gatto, S. Codazza, P. Zordan, G. Stefinlongo, M. Ariani, D. Coraci, G. Ronconi
  MUSCULOSKELETAL SURGERY.2024; 108(1): 31.     CrossRef
• Effects of Intra-Articular Triamcinolone Injection on Adhesive Capsulitis after Breast Cancer Surgery
  Sungwon Kim, Sunwoo Kim, Jong Geol Do, Ji Hye Hwang
  Diagnostics.2024; 14(14): 1464.     CrossRef

Objective
To evaluate the current status of pain severity and quality of life (QoL) in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and to assess both their perceived needs and any unmet needs of current rehabilitation services.
Methods
A single-center questionnaire-based survey was conducted on 47 patients with CRPS who were diagnosed based on Budapest’s criteria. It collected demographic and clinical data, and the structured questionnaire included the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), the Korean version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS-K II), as well as the 5-Level EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D-5L) for measuring the QoL.
Results
The average value of BPI and WHODAS-K II were 7.69%±2.26% and 70.49%±19.22%, respectively. In the evaluation of their perceived needs and unmet needs for rehabilitation, patients had the highest rehabilitation needs in terms of pain (95.74%), followed by bodyaches (80.85%). Regarding their unmet needs, patients had the highest unmet needs in terms of memory impairment (83.33%), followed by weight management (72.00%). According to the regression analysis, only the overall BPI was significantly associated with QoL (p=0.01), and a higher BPI value led to poorer results for QoL.
Conclusion
In Korea, patients with CRPS do not receive adequate rehabilitation, and they are not satisfied with current received treatments. A more structured and individualized rehabilitation treatment plan is required to manage every aspect related to chronic pain, and provision should be made for improved care guidelines for future CRPS management.

Citations

• Tailoring Treatment in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Comparative Study of Therapeutic Approaches in Complex Rehabilitation
  Iana Andreieva, Beata Tarnacka, Adam Zalewski, Justyna Wiśniowska
  Pharmaceuticals.2025; 18(8): 1114.     CrossRef
• Virtual reality in managing Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS): a scoping review
  Mauricio Arcos-Holzinger, Johanna Theresia Biebl, Claudia Storz, Marcus Gutmann, Shahnaz Christina Azad, Boris Michael Holzapfel, Eduard Kraft
  Frontiers in Neurology.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef