Classifying post-stroke shoulder pain: Can the DN4 be helpful?

Abstract

The etiology of post-stroke shoulder pain (PSSP) is largely unclear and may involve both nociceptive and neuropathic mechanisms. No gold standard is present for PSSP diagnosis. The neuropathic pain diagnostic questionnaire (DN4), was originally developed to identify neuropathic pain in the clinical context. In this study we used the DN4 to categorize PSSP patients and compared symptoms and signs suggestive of either nociceptive or neuropathic pain. Pain complaints and sensory functions were compared between patients with chronic PSSP scoring at least four (DN4+, n = 9) or less than four (DN4-, n = 10) on the DN4. Pain was assessed using a numeric rating scale and the McGill pain questionnair..