Shoulder problems after spinal cord injury. Part one: self-assessment by questionnaires.

Abstract

To describe the prevalence of -shoulder pain and associations with patient characteristics and activities of daily living in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to identify pain--relieving strategies. This paper presents questionnaire results from a larger study that also includes clinical and ultrasound assessments. Cross-sectional study. Individuals with SCI for at least 1 year. A questionnaire including patient characteristics, shoulder-loading activities, and pain prevalence was distributed. Those with shoulder pain were asked additional pain-related questions. One hundred participants were included (mean age = 54 years, 79 male, time since SCI = 13.8 years, wheelchair users = 56). Shoulder pain prevalence was 34% during the last week, with higher rates after tetraplegia AIS A-D. Mode of ambulation did not affect pain ratings; however, wheelchair users experienced more bilateral pain. Pharmacological use specific for shoulder pain was low; non-pharmacological treatments included exercise, massage, and TENS. This study confirms a high prevalence of shoulder pain in persons with chronic SCI, with small differences across subgroups. This suggests that shoulder attention is equally important among individuals with incomplete SCI and ambulatory individuals as it is for wheelchair users. The majority with shoulder pain experienced onset of pain over 1 year ago.