Management of Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain

Stroke remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States. However, due to advancements in medical care, more and more Americans are surviving the acute event and living with disability of varying degrees. One factor that has been shown to decrease functional recovery and quality of life in this population is hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP). Due to the diverse nature of possible etiologies, the exact cause of HSP in a patient is often obscure, thus making effective treatment equally as elusive. Therapy remains a mainstay of treatment in HSP of any etiology, especially when coupled with functional electrical stimulation. Both corticosteroid and botulinum toxin A injections have been show to be efficacious in certain subpopulations experiencing HSP and studies centered around new technology in the realm of implantable microstimulators show promising results. © 2013, Springer Science + Business Media New York.