Article

This study aimed to examine the association of hemiplegic shoulder
pain (HSP) with central hypersensitivity through pressure-pain thresholds (PPTs)
in healthy, distant tissues. DESIGN: This study is a cross-sectional study. A total of 40 patients (n = 20, HSP; n = 20, stroke without HSP) were enrolled in this study. PPTs were measured at the affected deltoid and the contralateral
deltoid and the tibialis anterior using a handheld algometer. Differences in PPTs
were analyzed by Wilcoxon's rank-sum test and with linear regression analysis,
controlling for sex, a known confounder of PPTs. RESULTS: The subjects with HSP
had lower local PPTs than did the control subjects who have had a stroke when
comparing the painful shoulders with the dominant shoulders of the controls and
comparing the nonpainful shoulder and the tibialis anterior with the nondominant
side of the controls. Similarly, those with HSP had lower PPTs compared with the
controls in contralesional-to-contralesional comparisons as well as
ipsilesional-to-ipsilesional comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: The subjects with HSP have
lower local and distal PPTs than the subjects without HSP. This study suggests
that chronic shoulder pain may be associated with widespread central
hypersensitivity, which has been previously found to be associated with other
chronic pain syndromes.
This further understanding can then help develop better
treatment options for those with this HSP.

Langue : ANGLAIS