[The principles of pharmacotherapy of poststroke shoulder pain]

To analyze the results of examination and treatment of patients with poststroke shoulder pain.

The study included 213 patients who have had a stroke, including 16.4% patients with poststroke shoulder pain in early recovery period and 35.9% patients with poststroke shoulder pain in late recovery period. Therapeutic efficacy of amitriptyline, lidocaine (intravenously), pregabalin, tizanidine and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs was assessed.

Dysfunction of nervous system plays the main role in this pain syndrome. The efficacy of the drugs in the early/late recovery period was estimated as follows: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - 33%/12%, amitriptyline - 24%/42%, gabapentin - 10%/13%, lidocaine - 95%/100%, tizanidine - 29%/33%. Seventy-six percent of patients were free of pain after treatment using a regimen suggested by the authors.