| Methods |
Random allocation: Yes; Concealed allocation: No; Baseline comparability: Yes; Blind assessors: No; Blind subjects: No; Blind therapists: No; Adequate follow‐up: Yes; Intention‐to‐treat analysis: No; Between‐group comparisons: Yes; Point estimates and variability: No; Eligibility criteria: Yes |
| Participants |
30 participants (mean age US 56; mean age TENS 62) with bicipital or supraspinatus tendinitis, subdeltoid bursitis or periarthritis of the shoulder assessed clinically and radiologically |
| Interventions |
Group 1: Ultrasound to the glenohumeral joint for 10 minutes, 2‐5 times per week for 13 sessions, starting with 0.5W/cm squared and increasing by 0.1 W/cm squared each session to 1 W/cm squared for all subsequent sessions
Group 2: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on the anterior and posterior aspects of the joint for 20 minutes for 2‐5 times per week for 13 sessions, with a mean frequency of 50Hz.
All patients performed Codman (pendular) and stetching exercises and recieved superficial heat treatment |
| Outcomes |
Assessed before and after episode of treatment for: 1. range of movement (flexion and abduction) measured by standard goniomter; 2. pain on visual analogue scale |
| Notes |
Able to impute pain data from graph, but not range of motion. Authors contacted in attempt to retrieve range of motion data, awaiting response. |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
High risk |
C ‐ Inadequate |
