Risk factors for shoulder pain after stroke: A clinical study

To investigate the risk factors for shoulder pain after stroke, and prevent its occurrence effectively.

The patients with stroke treated in our hospital between September 2016 and October 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. The medical records of the included patients including age, gender, lesion side, stroke duration, hospital stay, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, limitation of shoulder joint activity, alcohol abuse, smoking, type of stroke, Ashworth scale, Brunnstrom stage, sensory disorders, and motor arm score of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were collected and analyzed to determine the risk factors for shoulder pain after stroke.

A total of 1390 patients were included based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, consisting of 162 patients with shoulder pain after stroke and the prevalence was 11.6%. The included patients were divided into shoulder pain group and non-shoulder pain group. There were significant differences in age, stroke duration, hospital stay, diabetes, limitation of shoulder joint activity, Ashworth scale, Brunnstrom stage, sensory disorders, and motor arm score of NIHSS between the two groups (P < 0.05). Based on the multivariate regression analysis, the independent risk factors for shoulder pain after stroke included diabetes, limited shoulder joint activity, Brunnstrom grade I-III period, Ashworth 3-4 grade, motor arm score of NIHSS 3-4 points, and sensory disturbance.

Great emphasis should be placed on the stroke patients with diabetes, limited shoulder joint activity, Brunnstrom grade I-III period, Ashworth 3-4 grade, motor arm score of NIHSS 3-4 points, or sensory disturbance, as these patients have higher risks for shoulder pain after stroke.