The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Jan 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialSuprascapular nerve block versus steroid injection for non-specific shoulder pain.
Shoulder pain is a common complaint in elder population and may cause an important functional disability. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of suprascapular nerve block with those of steroid injection in patients with non-specific shoulder pain. A total of 60 patients with shoulder pain lasting for more than four weeks were included in this study. ⋯ No method was found to be superior to each other (p >0.05). No complications occurred in suprascapular nerve block in contrary to steroid injection. We suggest that suprascapular nerve block can be considered the preferred treatment for non-specific shoulder pain because of being as effective as steroid injection with rare side effects.