Shoulder pain in hemiplegia: a clinical experience with 102 patients

ABSTRACT

Shoulder pain is a frequent complication of hemiplegia. In this series, 102 hemiplegic patients were regularly followed up after their cerebrovascular accident for a period up to 12 months. They were 60 males and 42 females with a mean age 54 years. Evaluation of the shoulders of the patients was done before starting the rehabilitation programme. Distinction was made between flaccid and spastic hemiplegia. In this study, 62.7% of the patients had shoulder pain, more commonly encountered in those with spasticity [84.4%]. Soft tissue inflammation was present in 48.4% and reflex sympathetic dystrophy in 17.1% of the cases more in those with spasticity. Subluxation was demonstrated in 17.1% and associated of more than one local problem was encountred in 17.1% of the cases with painful shoulder. There was a significant correlation of shoulder pain and the degree of spasticity and the age of the patients