Comparison of hand grip strength and upper limb pressure pain threshold between older adults with or without non-specific shoulder pain

Abstract

Background. There is a high prevalence of non-specific shoulder pain associated with upper limb functional limitations in older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the minimal clinically important differences (MCID) of grip strength and pressure pain threshold (PPT) in the upper limb between older adults with or without non-specific shoulder pain. Methods. A case-control study was carried out following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) criteria. A sample of 132 shoulders (mean±SD years) with (n=66; 76.04±7.58) and without (n=66; 75.05 ± 6.26) non-specific pain were recruited. The grip strength and PPT of the anterior deltoid and extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) muscles were assessed. Results. There were statistically significant differences (mean ± SD; P-value) for anterior deltoid PPT (2.51 ± 0.69 vs 3.68 ± 0.65, kg/cm2; P