Treatment for Frozen Shoulder using Corticosteroid Injection and Nerve Block

A Double Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) Exploring the Additional Effect of a Suprascapular Nerve Block in Combination with an Intra-Articular Corticosteroid Injection in Patients with Frozen Shoulder

Not applicable Interventional Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel · NCT06229964

This study is testing whether a combination of a corticosteroid injection and a nerve block can help people with Frozen Shoulder feel less pain and move their shoulder better compared to a fake treatment.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment100 (estimated)
Ages18 Years to 99 Years
SexAll
SponsorUniversitair Ziekenhuis Brussel Academic / other
Locations1 site (Brussels)
Trial IDNCT06229964 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a glenohumeral intra-articular corticosteroid injection combined with a suprascapular nerve block compared to a sham nerve block in patients suffering from Frozen Shoulder. The study will measure outcomes such as shoulder-related disability, pain, and stiffness through a double-blinded randomized approach. Participants will be monitored for improvements in pain and function, with a focus on shared decision-making and patient education regarding their treatment options.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are Dutch or French speaking adults aged 18 and older who have been diagnosed with Frozen Shoulder lasting more than one month.

Not a fit: Patients with posttraumatic or postsurgical shoulder stiffness, or those with certain medical conditions affecting the shoulder, may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this treatment could significantly improve pain relief and functional mobility for patients with Frozen Shoulder.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown promise with similar approaches, but this specific combination of treatments in a double-blinded format is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Written informed consent to participate in the study must be obtained from the subject prior to initiation of any study-mandated procedure
* Suffering from Frozen Shoulder, defined as: Frozen shoulder is a self-limiting disease characterized by pain and functional restriction in both active and passive shoulder motion lasting more than 1 month, for which radiographic findings of the shoulder joint are unremarkable.
* Dutch or French speaking persons
* Age ≥ 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

* Subjects with posttraumatic or postsurgical stiff shoulder syndrome
* History of trauma at the onset of symptoms
* Subjects with rheumatologic or neurologic disease involving the shoulder
* Subjects with cervical radiculopathy
* Coagulation disorder
* Hypersensitivity to local anesthetics or MRI contrast agent
* Inability to understand the study procedures
* Psychiatric illness
* Pregnancy
* Subjects who have received prior SSNB in the homolateral shoulder
* Subjects who have received an IACI in the homolateral shoulder in the 3 months before inclusion• Systematic yeast infections
* Hypovolaemia
* Infections at the injection site
* Medical history of malignant hyperthermia, major conduction disorders, acute cardiac decompensation, shock conditions, convulsions

Control subjects for the diagnostic accuracy part of the study protocol

* Inclusion criteria:
* Written informed consent to participate in the study must be obtained from the sub-ject prior to initiation of any study-mandated procedure
* Subjects suffering from shoulder pain that do not fulfill the diagnostic criteria of Frozen Shoulder
* Dutch or French speaking persons
* Age ≥ 18 years
* Contralateral shoulder of Frozen Shoulder subjects
* Exclusion criteria
* Subjects with posttraumatic or postsurgical stiff shoulder syndrome
* History of trauma at the onset of symptoms
* Subjects with rheumatologic or neurologic disease involving the shoulder
* Subjects with cervical radiculopathy
* Coagulation disorder or treatments with anticoagulants
* Hypersensitivity to MRI contrast agent
* Inability to understand the study procedures
* Psychiatric illness
* Pregnancy
* Systematic yeast infections
* Hypovolaemia
* Infections at the injection site
* Medical history of malignant hyperthermia, major conductin disorders, acute cardi-ac decompensation, shock conditions, convulsions

Where this trial is running

Brussels

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Frozen ShoulderAdhesive CapsulitisAdhesive Capsulitis of the ShoulderIntra-articular corticosteroid injectionultra-sound guided injectionsuprascapular nerve blockJoint DiseasesMusculoskeletal Diseases
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.