Comparative Analysis of Mulligan and Maitland Mobilizations Techniques in Adhesive Capsulitis

February 17, 2026 updated by: Riphah International University

Comparative Analysis of Mulligan and Maitland Mobilizations Techniques on Disability and Quality of Life in Adhesive Capsulitis

Mobilization techniques are widely used in physiotherapy to address the pain and stiffness associated with adhesive capsulitis. Two commonly employed approaches are Mulligan's mobilization and Maitland's mobilization, both of which aim to restore joint mobility and improve functional outcomes. However, the relative effectiveness of these techniques in improving disability and quality of life in patients with adhesive capsulitis has not been conclusively established. This study will help to find out the best mobilization option for adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder for all four stages of adhesive capsulitis.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Adhesive capsulitis is a condition characterized by pain, loss of both active and passive range motion of the shoulder joint in all planes especially abduction and external rotation. In general population the prevalence of adhesive capsulitis is 2-5% and its incidence is 2%.The prevalence of adhesive capsulitis in diabetic patient is 11- 30% while in non-diabetic is 2-10%.Adhesive capsulitis is more common in women aged between 40-60 years (12). Adhesive capsulitis is bilateral in 20-30 % of cases and the opponent shoulder become involved within five years Based on etiology Adhesive capsulitis is classified into primary or true frozen shoulder and secondary, in primary adhesive capsulitis there is global capsular inflammation without any known cause or pre-existing condition while secondary adhesive capsulitis is associated with any recognized systemic, intrinsic or extrinsic cause. The systemic causes of secondary adhesive capsulitis comprise thyroid diseases, diabetes mellitus and decreased level of adrenaline. The intrinsic cause of secondary adhesive capsulitis is rotator cuff disease andcalcification of tendon or tendonitis. The extrinsic causes of secondary adhesive capsulitis include breast surgery in women, post trauma, clavicle or humerus fracture and early history of cerebral vascular accident

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
42

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • KPK
      • Chakdara, KPK, Pakistan, 18800
        • Riphah International University Malakand Campus

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 35-50 years.
  • Diagnosed case of primary adhesive capsulitis.
  • Pain and limited range of motion in the affected shoulder. (External rotation>abduction>internal rotation)
  • Willing to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous shoulder surgery.
  • Severe osteoporosis or fractures.
  • Neurological or rheumatological conditions.
  • Neck and cardiac surgery
  • History of recent fractures

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Maitland Mobilization
This group will be treated with Maitland mobilization with 30 repetition and 3 set in each repetition 3 time a week for 4 weeks along with conventional exercises like Monkey bar, towel stretching, and codmen exercise.
Other: Maitland Mobilization
Provide maitland mobilization technique along with conventional exercises like Monkey bar, towel stretching, and codmen exercise to each subject.
Experimental: Mulligan Mobilization
This group will be treated with Maitland mobilization of the shoulder joint with 30 repetition and 3 set in each repetition 3 time a week for 4 weeks along with conventional exercises like Monkey bar, towel stretching, and codmen exercise.
Other: Mulligan Mobilization
Provide mulligan mobilization technique along with conventional exercises like Monkey bar, towel stretching, and codmen exercise to each subject.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
NPRS
Time Frame: six weeks
The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) is a 0 to 10 self-reported scale used to assess pain intensity, where 0 = no pain and 10 = worst possible pain. It is a simple, reliable tool commonly used in clinical trials to measure pain levels before and after interventions.
six weeks
Goniometer
Time Frame: Six weeks
A goniometer is a standardized tool used to measure shoulder range of motion (ROM) in degrees. It consists of a protractor with two arms, one stationary and one movable, to assess joint angles during movement.
Six weeks
SPADI
Time Frame: Six weeks
The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) is a self-reported questionnaire used to assess pain and functional disability in individuals with shoulder conditions. It consists of 13 items divided into two subscales: pain (5 items) and disability (8 items), scored on a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating greater impairment
Six weeks
SF- 36 Scale
Time Frame: Six weeks
The Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey is a validated questionnaire used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) across eight domains, including physical functioning, pain, and general health. It generates physical and mental health summary scores on a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating better well-being.
Six weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Riphah International University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Zavata Afnan, MS NMPT, Riphah International University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 15, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 30, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 10, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 7, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 7, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 15, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 18, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 17, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • REC-01005 Rafi Ullah

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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