Painful shoulder is a common complication following hemiplegic stroke. This pain may interfere with functional improvement, the patient's quality of life, and it may impede the process of rehabilitation. Further understanding of rotator cuff tendon impairment and other shoulder soft tissue structural abnormalities in stroke patients may help clinicians in assigning more complete therapeutic plans to hemiplegic patients. The radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy has promising results in patients with musculoskeletal problems and in those with various causes of HSP, including spasticity, rotator cuff problems, adhesive capsulitis, and complex regional pain syndrome .The purposes of this study are to examine sonographic structural changes pre and post the radial extracorporeal shock wave intervention in hemiplegic shoulder pain, as well as to explore the relationships between sonographic structural changes and hemiplegic shoulder pain. This study will be a benefit in the physical therapy field and may guide rehabilitation programs of physical therapy towards better results through decreasing time needed to perform activity of daily living, decreasing dependency and making patient an active member in society.
The purposes of this study are to examine sonographic structural changes pre and post the radial extracorporeal shock wave intervention in hemiplegic shoulder pain, and to assess the relationships between sonographic structural changes and hemiplegic shoulder pain.