BACKGROUND: Every 45 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. According to the American Stroke Association, about 700,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke each year. Strokes kill nearly 157,000 people every year, making it the third leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, every three minutes, someone dies from a stroke. Those who survive are often greatly affected physically and mentally. Strokes will cost the United States about $57.9 billion in 2006 for medical costs and disability.

WARNING SIGNS:

» Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
» Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
» Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
» Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
» Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Source: American Stroke Association

SHOULDER PAIN: Shoulder pain is a common complication after a stroke. From 16 percent to 72 percent of stroke patients develop shoulder pain on one side of their body. The problem may occur in up to 80 percent of stroke patients whose arms were affected by the stroke. The painful condition has a negative impact on the recovery of stroke patients. It can make rehabilitation very painful and unpleasant for the patient. One study revealed shoulder pain is strongly associated with longer hospital stays and poor recovery of arm function in the first 12 weeks after stroke. Pain in the shoulder can cause weakness, loss of muscle tone and loss of feeling.

SHOCKING AWAY THE PAIN: Electrical neuromuscular stimulation is one possible treatment for stroke shoulder pain currently under investigation. The treatment involves applying an electrical current to the skin. This stimulates nerves and muscle fibers and may improve muscle tone, muscle strength, and reduce pain. Researchers are also testing a method that involves implanting electrodes directly into the muscles. Stephen Page, Ph.D., of the Drake Center in Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center is part of this research. He says, "When you apply electrical stimulation either through the skin or percutaneously, as we are doing through this study where it is actually implanted, what you are actually doing is sort of turning on the muscle. You are sending a signal to the muscle. The muscle contracts actually as if your brain is controlling it. Another nice thing for a stroke patient is it actually sends signals to the brain telling the brain that the muscle is there, so the brain after time and after repetition starts sending signals back down again and you get some motor function back." Once doctors implant the electrodes, patients do the therapy at home. Dr. Page says the treatment appears to be effective even several years after having a stroke. The treatment is still under study and is not approved by the FDA yet.