Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Experimental Protocol of a Three-minute, All-out Arm Crank Exercise Test in Spinal-cord Injured and Able-bodied Individuals
Published on: June 8, 2017
Arm crank ergometry and shoulder pain in persons with spinal cord injury
Trevor A Dyson-Hudson1, Sue Ann Sisto, Quin Bond
1Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Center, West Orange, NJ 07052, USA. tdyson-hudson@kmrrec.org
Objective:
To determine whether a primary fitness program utilizing arm crank ergometry would cause increased shoulder pain in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Design:
Cohort study.
Setting:
Clinical research center.
Participants:
People (N=23) with chronic SCI (>1 y) who were participating in a weight loss study to compare the effectiveness of diet only (1000 kcal/d for 12 wk) versus diet with arm crank ergometry (1000 kcal/d and arm crank ergometry 3 times a week for 12 wk).
Intervention:
Arm crank ergometry.
Main Outcome Measure:
Changes in shoulder pain intensity using the Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI).
Results:
After adjusting for baseline scores, there was no significant difference between the 2 groups on postintervention WUSPI scores (F(1,20)=.85, P=.37, partial eta2=.04). The strength of the relationship between group assignment (diet only vs diet and arm crank ergometry) and final WUSPI score was weak, as assessed by a partial eta2, with group assignment accounting for 4% of the variance on the WUSPI. The adjusted means were lower in the diet and arm crank ergometry group (mean, 7.84) than in the diet only group (mean, 12.22); however, these differences did not appear to be clinically significant.
Conclusions:
A primary fitness program using arm crank ergometry does not increase shoulder pain in people with SCI who use wheelchairs. Further investigation with a larger group and what constitutes clinically significant changes on the WUSPI is warranted to confirm our results.
