Impact of adhesive capsulitis on quality of life in elderly subjects with diabetes: A cross sectional study

CONTEXT: Adhesive capsulitis (AC) is a common musculoskeletal manifestation in elderly having long standing history of diabetes. This hinders the function of shoulder which is crucial in many activities of daily living. This painful, functional deficit may decrease the quality of life in elderly. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of AC on quality of life in diabetic elderly subjects. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: District government Hospital, Udupi; Dr. T. M. A. Pai, Udupi, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal; and the study design is cross-sectional design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-three diabetic elderly patients were recruited from the settings based on cluster sampling. They were evaluated for pain and restriction of range of motion in the shoulder joint and were. Severity of condition was classified on Oxford shoulder score and quality of life was calculated by SF- 36. Statistical analysis used: Descriptive statistics and spearman's correlation coefficient done in SPSS. RESULTS: Forty-nine percent of women had diabetic AC. Majority of the subjects without AC fell in average quality of life. Women with AC fell in unhealthy category, whereas men were clustered in the average category. CONCLUSIONS: Adhesive capsulitis was an important factor in reducing the quality of life of the elderly with diabetes.