Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of functional electrical stimulation (FES) on hemiplegic shoulder subluxation in post-acute stroke patients.

Method: Forty-four patients who had shoulder subluxation as a consequence of their first stroke were included and randomly assigned to either a control group (22 subjects) or a study group (22 subjects). Patients in both groups received physiotherapy and used an arm sling. The study group received, FES therapy to shoulder muscles (supraspinatus and posterior deltoid) for 30 minutes, five days a week for 6 weeks. The effect of FES therapy was evaluated by assessment of the severity of subluxation using radiologic measurements before and after treatment.

Results: 1) The severity of subluxation was significantly increased after 6 weeks (p＜0.05) in the control group. In the study group, it was reduced but the difference was not statistically significant (p＞0.05). 2) In the group of patients with early treatment (onset duration, less than 6 months), the control group showed a significant increase in subluxation (p＜0.05), but the study group showed significantly reduced (p＜0.05) shoulder subluxation after treatment period. 3) In the group of patients with mild shoulder subluxation before treatment (less than 1 finger breadth), the control group showed a significant increase in subluxation (p＜0.05), but the study group showed significantly reduced (p＜0.05) shoulder subluxation after treatment period.

Conclusion: The FES therapy is effective in preventing and reducing the severity of hemiplegic shoulder subluxation in post-acute stroke patients, especially if duration since stroke onset was less than six months and the severity of subluxation before treatment was mild.