Shoulder pain is a common problem after stroke. Its incidence is variable in up to 70% of patients¹ and it often appears in the first few days. It is a marker of stroke severity, and 75% of patients complain of pain at some time in the first 12 months following a stroke. The mechanisms for the development of pain are sometimes unclear but, since the attachment of the upper limb to the trunk is muscular rather than directly skeletal, any disruption of muscular action is likely to give biomechanical problems around the shoulder, which …