 Investigators are initiating a study on new positioning devices providing optimal positioning of the hemiplegic shoulder according to the criteria given in the literature: elbow flexed at 40, hand semi-prone, fingers abducted and in extension, and thumb in abduction. The medical devices under study are the SYSTAM positioning device for the upper-arm spine position and Ultrasling ER 15 DONJOY sitting or standing-up position. The study will include 30 acute stroke patients ischemic or haemorrhagic with no alertness problems and with a shoulder motor function score between 0 and 2 on the Held-scale. A visual analog scale VAS will be used, thus excluding patients with aphasia and dementia. The new positioning will be maintained for a maximum of 1 month or until the Held-scale score reaches 3. The primary end-point is pain VAS on Day 2, Day 7 and at 1 month. The secondary end-point is the National Institute of Health Stroke Score NIHSS at these times. Other variables are time in hours between patient arrival on the stroke ward and positioning, protocol compliance by staff and patients, and the percentage of patients with a diastasis on arrival and on discharge. 