11 replies to this topic

[Apparelyzed]

People in wheelchairs push on their handrims an average of 2500 times a day and 17,500 times a week as they engage in activities of daily living. The repetitive stress of wheelchair propulsion results in an extraordinarily high incidence of upper extremity pain and injury (as high as 70%) among manual wheelchair users.

So that's why my shoulders ache!

Simon

[Alin Steglinski]

Apparelyzed, on Sep 13 2007, 08:56 AM, said:

People in wheelchairs push on their handrims an average of 2500 times a day and 17,500 times a week as they engage in activities of daily living. The repetitive stress of wheelchair propulsion results in an extraordinarily high incidence of upper extremity pain and injury (as high as 70%) among manual wheelchair users.

So that's why my shoulders ache!

Simon

ha ha ha, and thats why powerchairs beat manuals...

well at least in my case...

manual might be better for some people...

but not my case!

Edited by Alin Steglinski, 13 September 2007 - 04:15 PM.

[HiltonP]

SIMON . . . which is exactly why you should be watching the World Cup Rugby, and the Twenty20 World Cup Cricket, and maybe even the womens World Cup Soccer . . . all of which is on right now!

Less pushing on the rims, and more exercise for the elbow (lifting beers) and jaw (chewing chips and shouting)!

Edited by HiltonP, 13 September 2007 - 04:54 PM.

[KarenFerguson]

That is an interesting wheelchair fact!

Speaking of push rims does anyone have those ergonomic push rims? I've seen them before and always wanted to try them. They are kind of flat not round, so they contour to our hands better. If someone does, do you like them?

[gsp23]

KarenFerguson, on Sep 13 2007, 01:20 PM, said:

That is an interesting wheelchair fact!

Speaking of push rims does anyone have those ergonomic push rims? I've seen them before and always wanted to try them. They are kind of flat not round, so they contour to our hands better. If someone does, do you like them?

One thing I wouldnt like about them is that they appear to be solid piece to your wheel so there isnt that gap where the tabs are... that would be a bit of a problem for me as I have been known to hook my thumbs inside my handrim behind a tab when I really need to give myself a good hard push up a hill and hands on the tires wont work for some reason.

[Avocado Baby]

Wow! Thanks for that! My shoulders ache too!

I have Spinergy wheels, are those the ones?

[azx43]

KarenFerguson, on Sep 13 2007, 11:20 AM, said:

That is an interesting wheelchair fact!

Speaking of push rims does anyone have those ergonomic push rims? I've seen them before and always wanted to try them. They are kind of flat not round, so they contour to our hands better. If someone does, do you like them?

I have Natural-Fit handrims on my chair; a friend of mine helped to develop them. I really like them, and the sollid thumb-area really helps in my opinion. With regular handrims I was always catching my thumbs in the space betweewn the rim and the wheel, and because I don't always feel the left side of my body as well as the right side, I used to actually wear a hole in my left thumb!
I also live in very hilly northern Arizona, and my handrims are wonderful for going up and down hills. They provide a bigger area to grip, which makes me practically unbeatable on hills.

[wheeliebear75]

Yeah 17yrs+ now & my shoulders and upper back do get achy now.......and the start of tendinitis in my wrists. I guess it's just because we were not designed to go around by arm power......we just do because we must.

[PetitMortVampyre]

Well darn, I never thought about that, the fellow I was so darn interested that was the reason I found this site to start with, had nice upper body strength and refused to get a lift for his van, he said if he could not pull himself into it, he would shoot himself (Boy I hope he never has a prob, he's 51 and been in it since he was a kid-dont recall exact age, as its been a long time omg, almost a year since I joined here ) That all that work coud make him sore... Hell I prob could have given him a ton of massages and... well, nevermind, its getting warm over here (or maybe its a pending hot flash? lol) It never worked cause our schedules clashed.... I do miss him... A lot, actually.

Never thought for a moment as my time in a chair was limited and I had a child who pushed me around (now he still does but thats cause he's 19 and He doesn't think I will beat him with my crutch, the time is coming, the time is coming!!!!!!) about the energy/muscles involved, I tried to do a wheelie, and yes you guess it, I fell over...I was able to turn the thing around on my own, but to be honest I coudl not get very far before I woud be too exhausted and whine for the boy to come save me from whatever mess I got into. Humiliation is your own child having to help you onto the toilet. Then again, we all start in diapers, as we age, or SCI or Divertic (nm I cant spell it) we all end up in them.

Only thing I can kinda compare, is when I was on BOTH crutches, I did find my upper body strength improved and I could open a jar of pickles (no I can't anymore darn it) However, I am not graceful, and spent more time nearly if not actually face planting using 2 crutches, that I went to one and walked on the ankle, therefore, re-injuring regulary, screwing it up so bad I require surgery (Hyper-extended tendon? wtf is that?) and I get nagged by friends that are nurses and doctors all the time when I am at work, that I should NOT be standing. Well I can't afford the 100 bucks to get a bloody doctors note every other month when some whiney co-worker who does NOT need a crutch whines I am sitting... <sighs> (no can't ask my friends, thats unethical in my eyes)

A moment of Hindsight: I should have went to work and *fell there* But I could not walk on it (ethics, blah) and had never, ever seen my ankle turn damn near black and blue and swell so huge in my life, nevermind seeing the ankle bone look like it was sticky out, so I panicked and went to Dominican Hosp (any locals.. NEVER GO THERE, just a warning) But walking daily with that thing (I am now up to 3 hours maximum that I can walk without the crutch but refuse to at work, last thing I need is to trip on something/graceful as I am) I find my carpal tunnel is really getting fed up, and my right knee is starting to hurt, probably as it is compensating (baring all 126 lbs of me) for the fact I can't stand on the left. I tried a cane, but found the curve of the handle, made my whole hand hurt. My back hurts end of work day, prob same reason as I am not walking normal..

Ever notice I really Ramble late at night? lol Sorry.... (its the ambien I am telling you and excuse any typos, thats the ambien too oh and claws for nails) TY for taking the time to read, Muah.

Hug your loved ones, and call the ones ya can't, tell them you love them
We are never promised a tomorrow, or an hour from now.
Love, Light and Laughter
Corvette aka Grace.

[brookelynn628]

Not to mention achiness in the hands - I score major points giving hand massages

[LuckyinKentucky]

I snap crackle & pop more than rice crispies... & I've only been sittin a few years.

[rkzenrage]

I had to go to a power because the manual was tearing-up my shoulders and breaking my ribs.