Enhancing outcomes for frozen shoulder patients: The role of targeted mindfulness therapy on apprehension and tension traits

Background: This study aims to assess the personality profiles of patients with frozen shoulders and evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy, specifically targeting apprehension and tension personality traits in these patients. Methods: The study was divided into 2 parts. In the 1st part, the Cattell 16 Personality Factors questionnaire assessed the personality profiles of patients with primary frozen shoulders. In the 2nd part, the effectiveness of mindfulness therapy specifically targeting apprehension and tension personality traits was examined. Patients were initially divided into 2 groups based on the severity of the disease and their treatment preference: conservative (non-surgical group) and surgical. Depending on whether the mindfulness treatment was administered, these groups were further subdivided into mindfulness and control subgroups. The Neer shoulder score was evaluated before and after 8 weeks of treatment and compared between subgroups. Results: A total of 239 patients with primary frozen shoulders (103 males, 136 females, average age 47.02 years) completed the Cattell 16 Personality Factors questionnaire. Male patients exhibited statistically significantly higher scores in Apprehension (O), while female patients had statistically significant higher scores in both Apprehension (O) and Tension (Q4) compared to the national normative data. In the 2nd part, 244 patients participated, with 141 in the non-surgical group (71 in the mindfulness subgroup and 70 in the control subgroup) and 103 in the surgical group (53 in the mindfulness subgroup and 50 in the control subgroup). In the non-surgical group, the average Neer score in the mindfulness subgroup pretreatment was 48.577 points, comparable to the control subgroup’s 48.186 points. After 8 weeks of treatment, the average Neer score in the mindfulness subgroup increased to 83.394 points, significantly higher than the control subgroup’s 69.014 points. In the surgical group, the pre-operative average Neer score in the mindfulness subgroup was 43.774 points, slightly lower than the control subgroup’s 43.96 points. Post-treatment, the average score in the mindfulness subgroup reached 84.264 points, significantly higher than the control subgroup’s 69.52 points. Conclusion: Integrating targeted mindfulness therapy into both conservative and surgical treatment protocols for frozen shoulders significantly improved patient outcomes, suggesting its potential as a valuable adjunctive treatment. Assessing personality traits before treatment provides a crucial basis for developing targeted treatment plans for patients with frozen shoulders.