Suprascapular nerve block in hemiplegic shoulder pain: comparison of the effectiveness of placebo, local anesthetic, and corticosteroid injections-a randomized controlled study

Abstract

Background: Shoulder pain is a common complication of hemiplegic patients that can interrupt their rehabilitation program and is associated with poorer outcomes. The usefulness of the suprascapular nerve block. (SSNB) in the stroke population has been suggested, but some concerns still remain. Objectives: To investigate the effect of SSNB on pain intensity and passive range ofmotion (PROM) in patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP). Study Design: A prospective, double blind, randomized controlled trial was conductedin 34 stroke patients with HSP. They were randomly divided into three groups: Localanesthetic (LA) injection into the trapezius muscle (placebo group), LA injection into thesuprascapular notch, and LA and corticosteroid (CS) injections into the suprascapularnotch.The main outcome was visual analog scale (VAS) scores evaluated before andafter administration of the injection at 1 hour, 1 week, and 1 month. Results: There were significant decreases in the VAS scores with all three injections at all follow-up time points (p: 0.001 for the placebo group, p <0.001 for the LA group, and p <0.001 for the LA+CS group). When changes in VAS scores were compared between the groups, the LA+CS group demonstrated a higher decrease in VAS than the placebo group. Improvement in the PROM was seen only in the LA and LA+CS groups. Conclusions: The findings of this study support the use of an SSNB with or without CS, to increase the range of motion in the affected shoulder, especially during the rehabilitation period.