Prevalence and risk factors of post-stroke pain in a Malaysian stroke centre: A cross sectional study

Background & Objectives: Post-stroke pain (PSP) is a common complication that is often overlooked. It leads to depression, impaired quality of life (QoL) and increased economic burden. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of PSP in a Malaysian stroke centre. Methods: This is a single-centered, cross-sectional study of 175 post-stroke patients attending the neurology clinic. Their demographic data and clinical variables were collected. They were interviewed using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Barthel Score (BI) and EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) questionnaires. Results: The prevalence of PSP was 26.3%, with most of them aged 51-70 years (52.2%). The types of pain included headache (30.4%), pain secondary to spasticity (32.6%), central post-stroke pain (26.1%) and shoulder joint pain (19.6%), in which they first experienced the pain between a week to three months post-index stroke. Our study showed that a high NIHSS, prolonged hospital stay for index stroke, poor modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and no post-discharge rehabilitation increased the probability of developing PSP. This resulted in depression, regression of functional status and poor QoL. There was no correlation between older age, gender, ethnicity, and pre-existing medical conditions with the development of PSP. Conclusion: PSP should be diligently screened and treated in every stroke survivor to improve quality of life.