Ali AYDİLEK, Merve GÖRGÜLÜ, Ayfer Ezgi YILMAZ ÇAKIROĞLU, Aydan ÖRSÇELİK, Tuğba KOCAHAN, Bihter AKINOĞLU
Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care - 2026;7(4):875-882
Aims: This study aimed to determine whether shoulder range of motion (ROM) or pain intensity was more closely associated with functionality and quality of life in individuals with frozen shoulder. It also sought to identify which ROM directions and pain characteristics showed the strongest relationships with functional limitation and health-related quality-of-life domains. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 34 individuals with frozen shoulder aged 25-78 years. Demographic data, shoulder ROM, pain intensity, functional status, and quality-of-life measures were obtained from medical records. ROM was assessed with a goniometer, pain with the Visual Analog Scale, function with DASH and SPADI, and quality of life with SF-36. Pearson or Spearman correlation analyses were used according to data distribution, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Weak to moderate correlations were observed among ROM, pain intensity, functional status, and quality-of-life measures. Active and passive shoulder flexion and abduction were consistently associated with functional outcomes, whereas activity-related pain and night pain were predominantly associated with health-related quality-of-life measures (r=-0.383 to -0.598, all p<0.05). Among pain variables, activity-related pain and night pain were most closely associated with quality-of-life measures, with night pain showing the strongest correlations across several SF-36 domains (r=-0.353 to -0.585, all p<0.05). Conclusion: In individuals with frozen shoulder, flexion and abduction ROM showed comparatively stronger associations with functional outcomes, whereas activity-related pain and night pain showed stronger associations with several quality-of-life domains. These findings support the combined assessment of ROM and pain characteristics in clinical evaluation and rehabilitation planning.
