A double-blind controlled, between-patient trial was carried out in 40 patients with painful stiff shoulder to compare the effect of treatment with either 50 mg diclofenac sodium or 400 mg ibuprofen given 3-times daily for 2 weeks. The results of assessments made before and after treatment showed that although both drugs produced some improvement no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of pain relief or the range of movement were evident. The incidence of side-effects was also similar.