effect of exercise on shoulder pain and function in wheelchair users

Most female wheelchair users are likely to experience shoulder impingement syndrome after a while. Wheelchair users encounter impingement syndrome pain while doing daily activities. The current study aimed to explore the effect of a combined protocol included massage and flexibility and strength training on shoulder pain and function of women using wheelchair, who suffered from impingement syndrome.
10 of 19 women using wheelchair experienced shoulder impingement syndrome and five females (31 ± 2) were voluntarily selected. After signing the consents they were in 8-weeks supraspinatus transverse friction and strengthening protocol. The measures included visual analog scale, wheelchair user's shoulder pain index, Hawkins- Kennedy impingement test, and goniometer. Data was compared using a dependent sample t-test.
Only 40% of participants completed the protocol. Although the program fidelity was 56%, decrease of shoulder pain and increase of glenohumeral range of motion was significant (P ≤ 0/05).
The current study findings supported the results representing that using transverse friction besides strengthening exercise would control wheelchair user's impingement syndrome pain and increase shoulder function. There were some serious problems for those women, making them prevented to go to the Spinal Cord Injury Society. So, these problems would cause their program fidelity to decrease.