Suprascapular nerve block to improve shoulder proprioception and pain after stroke

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This is a prospective, randomized, investigator-blinded, parallel-group trial enrolling 14 adults with hemiplegic shoulder pain after stroke. Participants are randomized to receive a suprascapular nerve block plus a standardized physical therapy program or the same physical therapy program alone. The primary outcome is shoulder joint proprioception measured with a laser pointer-assisted joint position sense test; secondary outcomes include pain intensity, shoulder range of motion, motor recovery, stroke-specific quality of life, and upper-extremity function. The study limits enrollment to first-ever unilateral hemiplegia patients aged 18–80 who are at least one month post-stroke and able to perform active shoulder flexion >90°.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age between 18 and 80 years
* Presence of shoulder pain on the hemiplegic side with a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score \> 3
* At least 1 month since the cerebrovascular event (subacute and chronic stroke patients)
* Active shoulder flexion range of motion \> 90 degrees (required for the application of the laser pointer-assisted joint position sense test)
* First-ever, unilateral hemiplegia

Exclusion Criteria:

* Mini-Mental State Examination score \< 24 indicating cognitive impairment
* Presence of aphasia
* Shoulder spasticity with a Modified Ashworth Scale score \> 2
* Brunnstrom upper extremity motor stage \< 3
* Botulinum toxin type A injection within the last 3 months to muscles affecting shoulder joint movement (trapezius, levator scapulae, pectoralis major, deltoid, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, teres major, biceps, coracobrachialis, triceps, supraspinatus, subscapularis, infraspinatus, and teres minor)
* Pre-existing shoulder pathology causing pain in the hemiplegic shoulder
* Presence of neglect syndrome
* Complex regional pain syndrome, central pain, traumatic brachial plexus injury
* Change in pain medication during the study period
* Hypersensitivity to the medication used for suprascapular nerve block (lidocaine)
* Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
* Other shoulder pathologies such as fractures or joint replacement

Where it's running

• Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital Istanbul, İstanbul, Turkey
  Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye) Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Merve Kocibar, MD
• Email: mervekarayigit@yahoo.com
• Phone: +905518761062

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.