title: Prevalence of shoulder pain in adult- versus childhood-onset wheelchair users: a pilot study.
abstract: Shoulder pain is a common overuse problem in long-term adult wheelchair users. The current study examined whether the prevalence of shoulder pain in adult wheelchair users who began using their wheelchairs during childhood (childhood-onset [CH-O] group) is similar to those who began using their wheelchairs as adults (adult-onset [AD-O] group). We compared 31 CH-O and 22 AD-O wheelchair users using the Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI), an overall pain score (Brief Pain Inventory), and a lifestyle questionnaire to determine frequency and duration of physical activity. Shoulder pain (WUSPI) was greater in the AD-O wheelchair users compared with the CH-O group (p < 0.008), even though their general lifestyles were not different. The immature skeleton can possibly respond to the repetitive forces of wheeling better than that of those who begin using a wheelchair once their skeletal structure is completely developed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Coulumbia, Canada. bsawatzky@cw.bc.ca
authors.forename: Bonita J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Sawatzky
authors.forename: Gerard P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Slobogean
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.forename: Christine T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: Adrienne T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Hol
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014910:Wheelchairs / Q000009:adverse effects*