Flexibility and strong muscles are keys to help prevent shoulder injuries. For wheelchair users, fingers and shoulders tend to be the most common upper-extremity injuries due to a lack of flexibility and/or strength in the shoulder joint. Joint stability at the shoulder depends on muscle strength. If a joint and muscle aren’t flexible, they can more easily be strained or sprained.
This shoulder workout was brought to me by Dr. Barbara Darkangelo, senior physical therapist at the James A Haley VA Hospital in Tampa, Florida. She recommends the following exercises to help prevent a shoulder-related injury. It’s important to include both concentric (contracting strength) and eccentric (elongating) exercises. The easiest example is a bicep curl. When you curl the weight up, this is a concentric contraction. When you lower the weight down slowly and controlled, this is an eccentric contraction.
Perform each exercise for three sets of 10. But instead of just doing the exercises, try doing them on a certain count. Perform the exercises on a 1-2 count, pause, and then return to the starting position on a 1-2-3-4 count.
1. External Rotation—using a lightweight dumbbell, lie on your left side with your hips stacked. Hold the dumbbell in you right hand keeping your elbow tucked into your side and the dumbbell at your belly button. Keeping your elbow tucked, raise the dumbbell, and then slowly return to the starting position. Perform three sets of 10. Repeat on the other side. You can also perform this exercise using resistance bands.
2. Rows—using a resistance band, position it in front of you with your arms extended, pull it towards your chest and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Return to the starting position.
3. Lat Pull-Downs—using a resistance band, position it in front of you with your arms overhead. Pull down, keeping your elbows pointed to the floor. Return to the starting position.
Don’t forget about stretching! It is just as important as strengthening the anterior (front) part of the shoulder. This includes your pectoralis major/minor and your anterior deltoid. You should also focus on strengthening your posterior (back) part of your shoulder and back. Hopefully, this is what this workout will do for you! “In order to be active, you need to be strong and healthy; this involves regular exercise,” says Dr. Darkangelo.
Resources
Dr. Barbara Darkangelo is a Board Certified Neurologist Clinical Specialist and proudly boasts 11 years at the VA. One of her most enjoyable accomplishments was developing a biking program for the veterans to reintegrate them into sports activities that they did not think they would be able to do again following their injuries.
Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. 2007. Jan p 55-60.
Paraplegia 1985. Jun 23(3): 170-5.
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See Exercises for a Stronger Wheelchair Transfer for more information about building your upper body strength for a smooth transfer.
For more information about health care reform and how it may impact your life, see Health Care Reform: What Does It Mean for People with Disabilities?
