Sleep quality, pain, anxiety, depression and quality of life in patients with frozen shoulder1.

BACKGROUND: Nocturnal shoulder pain could play an essential role in frozen shoulder (FS) and can lead to disturbed sleep, anxiety, depression and reduced quality of life (QoL).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine anxiety, depression, sleep quality and quality of life in patients with FS and compare these to healthy controls.

METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 148 participants (76 FS patients and 72 healthy controls). We obtained Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale short form (WHOQoL-BREF).

RESULTS: FS patients had significantly higher scores for VAS and BAI (p< 0.001) than the control group. There was no significant difference between the BDI scores of the groups (p= 0.067). The WHOQoL-BREF scale of the physical, mental and environmental fields were significantly lower in the FS group (p< 0.001). FS patients had significantly lower sleep efficiency, and sleep disorders in terms of PSQI section scores (p< 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that there is a high prevalence and close relationships of pain, anxiety and sleep disturbance in patients with FS. Adding a psychiatric evaluation to the treatment of patients with FS may be beneficial.