Effectiveness of virtual reality on pain, functional disability, and kinesiophobia in frozen shoulder

CONTEXT: Frozen shoulder (FS) is characterized by pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion in the shoulder joint. It typically develops gradually over time and makes daily activities, such as reaching overhead or behind the back, challenging and painful. AIM: We aimed to study the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) on pain, functional disability, and kinesiophobia in FS. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: An experimental study was conducted in clinical settings in Mumbai. Seventy participants, including both males and females, were selected by convenient sampling method. METHODOLOGY: Seventy participants were included in the study as per the selection criteria and divided into two groups using the lottery method. Group A received the conventional exercise and Group B received the VR exercise and conventional exercise. Treatment was given for 3 days/week for 4 weeks. Pre- and postintervention Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-11 (TSK-11) were used as an outcome measure. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The statistical analysis used in the study was IBM SPSS software 29.0.10. RESULTS: Out of 70 participants (42 females and 28 males), 30% were 46–55 years old, 29% were 56–65 years old, and 11% were 35–45 years old. The treatment showed significant effects ( P < 0.001), with P = 0.0002 for SPADI and 0.0153 for TSK-11. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that VR exercise along with conventional exercise had a significant effect over conventional exercise on pain, functional disability, and kinesiophobia in FS.