[Poststroke pain].

Pain following stroke is a common but often neglected problem. Headache is present in about one fourth of patients in the acute phase. Later, chronic musculoskeletal pain including shoulder pain may be present, partly due to muscle weakness, posture and stiffness. Central neuropathic pain is a chronic pain, often described as burning or shooting and in some cases associated with pain evoked by light touch or cold. Central pain usually develops within months after the stroke and is located within the area of sensory abnormality corresponding to the CNS region damaged by the stroke.