Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Botulinum toxin for shoulder pain.

Singh JA, Fitzgerald PM. Botulinum toxin for shoulder pain. Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online). 2010 Sep 8;(9):CD008271.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.
   Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions



Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests an anti-nociceptive effect of botulinum toxin. OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin in comparison to placebo or other treatment options for shoulder pain. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library), Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL (via EBSCOhost), Ovid SPORTDiscus, EMBASE and Science Citation Index. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing botulinum toxin with placebo or active treatment in people with shoulder pain were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: For continuous measures we calculated mean difference (MD), and for categorical measures risk ratio (RR) (with 95% confidence interval (CI)). MAIN RESULTS: Six RCTs with 164 patients were included. Five RCTs in participants with post-stroke shoulder pain indicated that compared with placebo, a single intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin A significantly reduced pain at three to six months post-injection (MD -1.2 points, 95% CI -2.4 to -0.07; 0 to 10 point scale) but not at one month (MD -1.1 points, 95% CI -2.9 to 0.7). Shoulder external rotation was increased at one month (MD 9.8 degrees , 95% CI 0.2 to 19.4) but not at three to six months. Shoulder abduction, external rotation or spasticity did not differ between groups, nor did the number of adverse events (RR 1.46, 95% CI 0.6 to 24.3).One RCT in arthritis-related shoulder pain indicated that botulinum toxin reduced pain severity (MD -2.0, 95% CI -3.7 to -0.3; 10 point scale) and shoulder disability with a reduction in Shoulder Pain and Disability Index score (MD -13.4, 95% CI -24.9 to -1.9; 100 point scale) when compared with placebo. Shoulder abduction was improved (MD 13.8 degrees, 95% CI 3.2 to 44.0). Serious adverse events did not differ between groups (RR 0.35, 95% CI: 0.11, 1.12). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The results should be interpreted with caution due to few studies with small sample sizes and high risk of bias. Botulinum toxin A injections seem to reduce pain severity and improve shoulder function and range of motion when compared with placebo in patients with shoulder pain due to spastic hemiplegia or arthritis. It is unclear if the benefit of pain relief in post-stroke shoulder pain at three to six months but not at one month is due to limitations of the evidence, which includes small sample sizes with imprecise estimates, or a delayed onset of action. More studies with safety data are needed.





Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.