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Shoulder physical activity, functional disability and task difficulties in patients with stiff shoulders:
Jing-Lan Yang1, Jiu-Jenq Lin2, Han-Yi Huang3
1Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taiwan.
Manual Therapy
|March 22, 2014
Summary
Daily shoulder physical activity (SPA) in individuals with stiff shoulders (SSs) is linked to functional disability. High levels of SPA, particularly hard tasks, may predict non-improvement, suggesting careful activity guidance in rehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Stiff shoulders (SSs) significantly impact daily function and quality of life.
- Understanding the relationship between shoulder physical activity (SPA) and functional disability is crucial for effective treatment.
- Objective quantification of SPA is needed to guide rehabilitation strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the correlation between daily shoulder physical activity (SPA) and symptom-related functional disability in individuals with stiff shoulders (SSs).
- To assess the responsiveness and clinical meaningfulness of SPA in discriminating between improvement and non-improvement in SSs patients.
- To identify specific patterns of SPA associated with patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-six subjects with SSs were enrolled in a cohort study.
- Shoulder physical activity (SPA) was measured using RT3 accelerometers worn on the humerus over 14-hour daily periods, twice weekly for two weeks.
- Functional disability was assessed in relation to SPA.
Main Results:
- A moderate correlation (β = .47) was observed between SPA and functional disability.
- SPA exceeding 101.8 counts (indicating hard-moderate or hard tasks) was associated with an 83% probability of non-improvement in SSs patients.
- The improvement group exhibited less sedentary activity, fewer and shorter hard tasks, and more frequent and longer easy tasks compared to the non-improvement group (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Daily shoulder physical activity levels are moderately correlated with functional disability in stiff shoulder patients.
- High levels of shoulder physical activity, especially hard tasks, and sedentary behavior may be associated with poorer outcomes.
- Tailored guidance on appropriate shoulder physical activity is essential for optimizing rehabilitation strategies in individuals with stiff shoulders.
