01 Sep 🥴Does your child using a walking aid or self propelling wheelchair complain of neck and shoulder pain? 😲Wondering what can you do to help your child’s neck and shoulder pain?
😱A 2021 Study showed that Wheelchair users were 5.8 times as likely to suffer from shoulder pain as non wheelchair users. Other pain syndromes that wheelchair users experience included neck, elbow, wrist, hand and low back pain. Older age and increased duration of wheelchair use were the most significant determinants of pain in wheelchair users. The contributing factors to neck and shoulder pain are usually poor posture while using walking aids or sitting in a wheelchair,🦽 repetitive movements or positions that are common with using walking aids or wheelchairs, as well as existing muscle weakness in various parts of their body, including the neck and shoulders. This weakness can make it more difficult to maintain proper posture and support the weight of the head.
Here at My Favourite Physio, our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists recommend 3 ways to help reduce neck and shoulder pain in children who use walking aids and manual wheelchairs:
😊1. Radial Shockwave Therapy to reduce the muscle tightness and pain in neck and shoulder muscles. Radial Shockwave Therapy can work on both superficial and deep muscles without the associated pain of strong manual therapy that some children cannot tolerate.
😊2. Gentle joint mobilisations to the stiff neck joints from constant poke neck posture in sitting and in standing. Having to use their arms to support themselves or to propel their wheelchairs tends to cause children to lean forward with a poke neck posture.
😊3. Warm baths will help relax all the muscles in the body, including the neck and shoulder muscles. We encourage families to help their child soak in a warm bath with bath salts 2-3 times a week to relax their muscles.
So if your child is complaining of neck and shoulder pain, ring My Favourite Physio on 📱 (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to find out how our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists 🤓can help your child overcome their neck and shoulder pain today!