If you use a manual wheelchair you know how much stress they can put on your upper body. Repetitive use of shoulder joints can eventually cause extreme pain for wheelchair users. With extreme pain comes an unwillingness to move about, get out of the house, and generally engage with others and with outside activities. But this is one problem that shows signs of being easily solved.

In a recent test, 17 full-time wheelchair users complaining of shoulder pain were asked to use MAGICWheels as an accessory to their current chair.  In addition to their typical activity, they navigated hills and uneven terrain once each day for a period of five months.  Despite the fact that the new “invention” adds weight to the chair, each participant reported a decrease in shoulder pain.

Among the tests to determine the effectiveness of the MAGICWheels technology was the Wheelchair Users Functional Assessment (WUFA). While the initial impression offers hope for alleviating shoulder pain, the researchers have also suggested that additional tests are warranted.

For further information: “Effect of 2-speed geared manual wheelchair propulsion on shoulder pain and function,” M. Finley, PhD and M. Rodgers PhD, PTb, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, vol. 88, no. 12, December 2007.