Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain Management Using Shoulder pRF and Corticosteroid Injection

Introduction: hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) in a common post-stroke condition, that can lead to poor motor and functional recovery and lower quality of life. Interventions like intra-articular corticosteroid injection (ICI) and suprascapularis nerve (SSN) pulsed radiofrecuenfy treatment (PRF) has been used to treat the pain. Methods: in this single-center, prospective, randomized controlled study, we included 20 consecutive patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain in subacute stroke phase (2-12 months after diagnosis). Subjects were randomly assigned to the PRF (SSN and shoulder joint) and ICI treatment groups (n = 10 in each). Primary outcome is hemiplegic shoulder pain severity, measured by numeric rating scale, active shoulder range of motion and Fugl-Meyer upper limb assessment. Secondary outcome is shoulder joint and cervicocephalic kinesthetic sensibility. Outcome measurements were assessed at baseline and one, two and six months after each procedure.