Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Determining and Controlling External Power Output During Regular Handrim Wheelchair Propulsion
Published on: February 5, 2020
Effect of 2-speed geared manual wheelchair propulsion on shoulder pain and function
Margaret A Finley1, Mary M Rodgers
1Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center, Rehabilitation Research & Development Service, Baltimore, MD, USA. finleym@uindy.edu
Objective:
To investigate the impact of a manual 2-gear drive wheelchair wheel (MAGICWheels) on shoulder pain and function in manual wheelchair users.
Design:
A single-group, repeated-measures pre- and postdesign with baseline and retention.
Setting:
General community.
Participants:
Full-time manual wheelchair users (N=17) currently experiencing shoulder pain (mean age, 46+/-14 y; wheelchair use, 15+/-10 y).
Intervention:
Five-month trial using a 2-gear wheelchair wheel.
Main Outcomes Measures:
The Wheelchair Users Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI), Wheelchair Users Functional Assessment (WUFA), and timed hill climb test with rating of perceived exertion (RPE).
Results:
There was significant reduction in shoulder pain after the intervention at week 2 (P=.004) through week 16 (P=.015). The difference was not found at week 20; however, 1 participant reported an increase in pain from unrelated factors during week 20. Change from baseline was calculated without this subject's data; there was a significant reduction in shoulder pain (P=.003). There was no difference in WUFA after using the 2-gear wheel (P=.06). Hill climb time was longer when using the 2-gear wheel (P=.01), but no difference in the RPE (P=.13) resulted. Shoulder pain during the 4-week retention phase showed a trend toward increasing, as indicated by increased WUSPI scores. There was not a significant percentage increase, however, in comparison with the final week of using the MAGICWheels (P<.05).
Conclusions:
There were pain reductions 2 weeks after using the MAGICWheels, indicating a rapid response to the intervention. These findings indicate the potential for shoulder pain reduction with the use of a manual drive wheel during mobility, even in highly functional manual wheelchair users.
