Night-time pain in patients with rotator cuff related shoulder pain

Individuals with rotator cuff related shoulder pain (RCRSP) commonly complain about night-time (nocturnal) pain. And current research has not evaluated the relationship between nocturnal pain severity and other evaluation parameters in RCRSP. A study investigated the relationship between the severity of night-time pain and demographic and clinical data.

The study recruited 61 patients (half of them are female) and surveyed night-time and daytime pain, shoulder disability and functions scores. RCRSP lesions were evaluated in terms of tendonitis and rupture by MRI.

The study found that

-Night-time pain (assessed via Visual Aanalog Scale, VAS) was positively correlated with Shoulder Pain and Disability scores, day-time VAS score, and negatively impacted shoulder function.

– Individuals with night-time pain was associated with the presence of calcific tendonitis in supraspinatus, infraspinatus tendinosis, and subscapularis tendinosis.

– The presence of subscapularis tendinosis can predict the night-time pain (VAS score).

– Night-time pain (VAS score) was related to positive Neer test (The Neer test is used to clinically identify a potential subacromial impingement syndrome).

The authors suggest a relationship between nocturnal pain severity and disability. The presence of subscapularis tendinosis appears to predict nocturnal pain severity. Additionally, patients with a positive Neer test may experience more nocturnal pain.