Ultrasound-Guided Suprascapular Nerve RFA vs Steroid-Local Anesthetic Injection in Chronic Shoulder Pain

This study aims to compare the clinical effectiveness of two interventional treatments for chronic shoulder pain related to suprascapular nerve pathology: ultrasound-guided suprascapular nerve block and suprascapular nerve radiofrequency ablation (RFA). A total of 104 patients with chronic shoulder pain were enrolled and assigned to one of the two treatment groups. Participants were evaluated at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after the intervention. Outcome measures included pain intensity, functional disability, range of motion, kinesiophobia, quality of life, shoulder proprioception, and supraspinatus muscle and tendon thickness measured by ultrasound. The primary aim of the study is to determine whether radiofrequency ablation provides more sustained pain relief and functional improvement compared with nerve block. The findings may help guide clinical decision-making in the management of chronic shoulder pain.