Most individuals who push a wheelchair on a daily basis experience shoulder pain from time to time if not constantly. The shoulders are one of the most complicated joints in the body with the most extensive range of motion possible. This range of motion has a benefit of being able to accomplish significant functional task, but this is at the expense of stability. In contrast, joints that have the least amount of range of motion usually have the most stability. The shoulders were never designed to take the place of our legs and be responsible for all of our mobility.
Overuse the upper extremities versus the need for aerobic exercise is an ongoing balancing act that I face on a daily basis. I have the need and the desire to exercise regularly for health maintenance. This summer has been an unusually difficult time because of an increase in left-sided shoulder pain. This has prevented me from exercising throughout most of the summer.
I often get shoulder pain which is severe and last about a day or two. I usually can try to take it easy and rest with the addition of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories such as Advil or Aleve. This summer was very worrisome because I had experienced a condition of continuous shoulder pain that was not relieved with my normal regimen of intervention. I was certain that I had crossed the line and had permanently and seriously damaged my rotator cuff.
I own an iGlide wheelchair that uses a push-activated power- assist technology. This is an amazing chair that allowed me to climb Pikes Peak, a 14,000 foot mountain near Colorado Springs. Initially, I spent several days in this wheelchair and even used it at work. My shoulder pain never subsided. I do think the reason for this was because of the fact that the iGlide is an entire chair that does not fit my body as well as my current ultra lightweight wheelchair. Because of this less than perfect fit, my transfers required more stress on my shoulders than normal and pain was never vrelived.
Because of my position as medical director of rehabilitation and the fact that I am a C7 quadriplegic, I'm often asked to demo products. Timely for me, the Magic Wheels Company came out with their new version of their four-speed geared wheels.
Magic Wheels has both two and four-speed geared wheels. The best way for me to describe this technology is to compare it to a mountain bike. The standard gear is similar to any wheelchair which operates with one revolution of the push rim for one revolution of the wheel. The Magic Wheels have a lower gear which is similar to first gear on a mountain bike. The Magic Wheels also do not have a battery and operate with a quick shift of the gears that is comparable in effort to putting on a push wheel brake. When you switch "into low gear" it becomes much easier to push the wheelchair across thick carpet, grass, or up significant hills. Another important feature is the fact that it has a braking mechanism that will not allow your chair to roll backwards when climbing a hill. If you take your hands off the wheels the chair remains in the same location without rolling backwards.
The rep from Magic Wheels shared a study which demonstrated a decrease or elimination in shoulder pain after only two weeks of using their product. I have to admit; I was very skeptical and did not believe that this would be able to help me. Because of my lack of improvement with all other interventions I agreed to be strict in my use of the Magic Wheels. Anytime there was thick carpet or an incline I would quickly shift into gear and utilize the technology. This did take some dedication since it is so ingrained to just bear down and push harder when I'm faced with resistance of a hill or thick carpet.
I can honestly say that I was truly amazed and thrilled with the outcome. It did not take two weeks to see results as published in the study, but instead I was completely pain-free within four days. I was on vacation in a rugged area in the mountains and was expecting to be worse by the end. Instead, halfway through the vacation I was pain-free. This was in an area that was much more inclined and challenging than the normal setting of my home and the hospital.
Another benefit of the Magic Wheels is that the wheels fit my own chair. We become very comfortable and dependent on our well fitting wheelchairs and the Magic Wheels do not change this functional arrangement. Most of the time I keep the wheels in the standard or "normal" gear which is similar to my normal wheels. Although, if I ever get into a situation where there is an incline or increased resistance I can quickly shift into low gear and prevent any added stress to my shoulders. It's amazing how well I sleep without shoulder pain. If shoulder pain is a problem for you I would recommend a trial of Magic Wheels.
In full disclosure, I will identify that Magic Wheels is an advertiser on our website. Although, I would never endorse a product unless I completely believe that they are beneficial. In fact, I told the rep that I would be writing a blog on my response to the Magic Wheels whether it was positive or negative and I anticipated having to write that I experienced no benefit. This was not the case and I grateful. I will also say that the MagicWheels are not for everone and that other technology such as eMotion wheels should also be considered.
