Nerve entrapment as a cause of shoulder pain in the spinal cord injured patient.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Introduction
Many people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) develop shoulder pain, which can adversely impact transfers and independence. Yet effective treatments remain elusive.Case presentation
This report presents two patients with tetraplegia who had long-standing shoulder pain. Our exam showed muscle weakness and point tenderness, suggestive of nerve entrapments of the radial and axillary nerves in the posterior shoulder. These nerves were surgically decompressed and post-operatively the patients' pain resolved.Discussion
Shoulder nerve entrapments are uncommon but SCI patients may be at more risk due to their unique upper extremity demands. SCI providers should consider proximal nerve entrapments as a possible cause of shoulder pain.
SUBMITTER: Curtin CM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5463175 | biostudies-literature | 2017
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Nerve entrapment as a cause of shoulder pain in the spinal cord injured patient.
Curtin Catherine M CM Hagert Carl-Goran CG Hultling Claes C Hagert Elisabet E
Spinal cord series and cases 20170608
<h4>Introduction</h4>Many people with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) develop shoulder pain, which can adversely impact transfers and independence. Yet effective treatments remain elusive.<h4>Case presentation</h4>This report presents two patients with tetraplegia who had long-standing shoulder pain. Our exam showed muscle weakness and point tenderness, suggestive of nerve entrapments of the radial and axillary nerves in the posterior shoulder. These nerves were surgically decompressed and post ...[more]
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