Abstract:
Patients with subacromial pain syndrome (SPS) display a number of sensorimotor deficits including alterations in pain processing, poor proprioception, and weakness at the symptomatic limb. The primary purpose of this dissertation was to explore whether the aforementioned deficits: (1) can be quantified by using the non-involved limb as a measure of control, (2) are purely localized to the symptomatic limb or represent a more generalized deficit, (3) are influenced by the presence of subacromial pain, and (4) present similarly in male and female patients. Here, we utilized modern clinical techniques in both a patient cohort with SPS and uninjured control cohort to address these aims. The results of this dissertation are applicable towards treatment of SPS as well as scientific understanding of sex on sensorimotor behavior.
