The Slow-Stroke Back Massage (SSBM) and Shoulder Pain in Stroke Patients Who Referred To The Rehabilitation Centre

Objective: Shoulder pain caused by hemiplegia is a common finding after Stroke that severely restricts the patient’s independence in performing daily activities. The study was determined to survey the impacts of the SSBM on the shoulder pain and level of hand function in stroke patient. Materials & Methods: This study is a semi-experimental research, samples were consisted of 34 patients selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria among 70 patients who referred to Tabassom rehabilitation center from 23.10.2010 to 22.12.2010 and then allocated into two group of control and experimental through random sampling. For each participant of experimental group, the SSBM massage has been done for 10 minutes through 7 sessions pain status were measured before the massages and 24 hours after the last session, through the visual pain scale (Visual Analog Scale) for both groups, and the pain scores were compared. Statistical data analysis and analytic test(T independent, T paired) were performed. Results: The mean score of shoulder pain before intervention was of 8.40 for both case and control groups. After the intervention, the experimental group’s pain score declined to 1.13, while no change found in control group. The mean score of hand function was 9.13 and 8.66 for experimental and control group, respectively. The difference between the two groups was significantly (95%) meaningful. Conclusion: According to the findings, training and SSBM and care measures can be effective in preventing or reducing shoulder pain and improving overall motor function in stroke patients with hemiplegia.