Effect of Shoulder Pain on Energy Expenditure among Paraplegic Individuals: Role of Wearable Device

Human interactive wearable devices are cutting‑edge technologies transforming the health‑care system by allowing comfort, convenience, and continuous patient monitoring. Wheelchair use in spinal cord injury is the best form of mobility. Shoulder pain is often the consequence to increased kinetic demands placed on the upper limb. This paper is an endeavour to determine the effect of shoulder pain on energy expenditure amongst manual wheelchair users with an amalgamation of physiological health parameters and advancement in health monitoring technology.

Forty paraplegics using manual wheelchairs were divided into two groups depending on the presence of shoulder pain. Shoulder pain characteristics were noted using the Wheelchair Users Shoulder Pain Index. Mean heart rate during 6 min propulsion test was determined using the Xiaomi MI fitness band. Physiological Cost Index was established, and the energy expenditure was
then compared.

Shoulder pain was reported maximum during pushing the wheelchair >10 min (80%) and on‑ramps (65%). The energy expenditure showed a statistically significant increase in patients with shoulder pain.

The use of Xiaomi MI fitness band is a straightforward and affordable way to obtain the mean exercise heart rate assisting in estimating the energy expenditure. Shoulder pain significantly increases the energy expenditure among manual wheelchair users, and hence should be addressed before wheelchair use for the prevention of injuries.