Shoulder Health After Rehabilitation and Performance Training

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Strength training: Individualized, home-based strength trainig consisting of 6 ecxercises that will be carried out twice a week for 12 weeks

Study summary

The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of a home-based shoulder strength training on the overall shoulder health in manual wheelchair users, and if the timepoint of such a training makes a difference. The study is focusing on persons with a spinal cord injury in the thoracic or lumbar region of the spine, that have only recently been injured and will soon be discharged from primary rehabilitation.

The shoulder training will take place either 3 or 12 months after discharge from primary rehabilitation and will be carried out twice a week for 12 weeks.

There are six measurements occurring every three months, which leads to an overall duration of 15 months. The measurements consist of:

* Questionnaires about independence in daily life, participation, quality of life and physical activity
* Assessment of shoulder strength, range of motion and function
* Measurement of the daily wheelchair use during one week via sensors that are fixed to the wheelchair and wrist
* one further questionnaire at the end of the measurement week about the occurrence of shoulder pain

Additionally, on four of the six measurement timepoints, a magnet resonance image (MRI) of the shoulder will be taken to assess the shoulder status (pathology, muscle volume and quality).

Though all these measurements the researchers can additionally assess the load of daily life on the shoulders, and how well this matches the preparation during the primary rehabilitation.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• change in experienced shoulder pain during activities of daily life — Before and after the training intervention (3 months apart)
  Expressed by the Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI) score, a validated 15-item self-report instrument measuring shoulder pain during activities of daily life. For each activity, the shoulder pain experienced during the preceding week (corresponding to the week of monitoring of external exposure) is scored using a Visual Analog Scale (0-10). Total index scores can range from zero to 150 with zero meaning no pain and 150 maximal possible pain.

Trial sites (1)

More Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil trials in Switzerland

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