Comparison of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy Versus Injection Therapy for Shoulder Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Objective: The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and injection therapy through qualitative and quantitative analysis by synthesizing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted on patients with various shoulder diseases.
Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsMethods: This review conducted a literature search through international electronic databases in January 2023 to compare the effects of ESWT and injection therapy. Qualitative analysis was performed as a risk of bias tool, and quantitative analysis was synthesized with a random effect model to show the effect size as a standardized mean difference (SMD).
Results: Five RCTs involving 298 individuals with shoulder disorders were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. ESWT showed a moderate effect on pain (SMD＝－0.44; 95% CI, －0.95 to 0.06) and a large effect on shoulder function (SMD ＝－0.81; 95% CI, －1.70 to 0.07) than injection therapy. A significant difference was found in the shoulder range of motion, showing a large effect size (SMD＝1.50; 95% CI, 0.58 to 2.43).
Conclusions: When considering treatment options for the management of patients complaining of shoulder disorders, it is appropriate to recommend ESWT first rather than injection therapy to increase the range of motion of the joint. In addition, ESWT is safe for pain control and shoulder function improvement, and a positive prognosis could be expected.