Prevalence of Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain in Iran: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

CONTEXT: Hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) is one of the complications of a stroke. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine shoulder pain prevalence in cerebrovascular accident (CVA) patients. METHODS: This meta-analysis study searched English and Persian descriptive or descriptive-analytical full-text studies on CVA patients. The search was carried out in all databases by two researchers using keywords such as stroke, pain, CVA, hemiplegic, and shoulder pain. Data analysis was done with the software CMA3. RESULTS: In the initial search, 109 articles were found, and finally, the data from four articles were analyzed. The prevalence of HSP was 23% (confidence interval (CI) = 10.3% - 43.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Considering the HSP prevalence (28.1%) among CVA patients, it is necessary to carry out rehabilitation interventions to prevent such pain in these patients. It is also suggested that rehabilitation interventions be included in the patient education of the healthcare system.