Article

Upwards of 70% of manual wheelchair users (MWUs) experience shoulder pain. Pain
is more prevalent among females than males. The causes of this sex discrepancy
are not understood. Decreased range of motion (ROM) has been suggested as a major
contributor, but the interaction of sex, ROM, and shoulder pain has not been
investigated, thus the purpose of this investigation. We divided 30 MWUs (18
males, 12 females; 21.93 +/- 3.77 yr) into two groups based on self-reported
shoulder pain: pain group (n = 14; 9 males, 5 females) and no pain group (n = 16;
9 males, 7 females). We used a digital goniometer to assess ROM. Participants'
shoulder active and passive ROMs were tested bilaterally on the following joint
motions: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, and
external rotation. We used a visual analog scale to assess shoulder pain. Of the
participants, 47% reported shoulder pain. Overall, the no pain group had greater
ROM than the pain group, with further analysis revealing this association was
only significant in females during extension (p < 0.05).
ROM impairments were
only present in extension in females with shoulder pain.
The mechanism underlying
this sex difference is not clear.

Langue : ANGLAIS