Central pain processing in patients with shoulder pain : a review of the literature

Background Shoulder pain is a common health problem in which changes in shoulder structure cannot always explain the patient's perceived pain. Central sensitization (CS) might play a role in a subgroup of these patients. Methods The literature was systematically reviewed to address the role of CS in patients with shoulder pain. Electronic databases PubMed and Web of Knowledge were searched for relevant studies. Results Eighteen full-text articles were included, methodological quality was scored, and information was extracted. Studies were clustered on those studying patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) shoulder pain and those studying patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP). In particul…