Which instrument is designed to capture shoulder pain during functional tasks in wheelchair users with SCI?

Which instrument is designed to capture shoulder pain during functional tasks in wheelchair users with SCI?

• A. GRASSP
• B. Handheld Dynamometry (HHD)
• C. Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI)
• D. CHART

Answer: (C)

Measuring shoulder pain as it occurs during real-world tasks for a wheelchair user with SCI is best done with a tool built specifically for that situation: the Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index. This instrument asks about pain experiences during typical functional activities—like propelling the wheelchair, weight relief maneuvers, transfers, and reaching—which are precisely the tasks that stress the shoulder in daily wheelchair use. Because it targets pain across these common activities, it provides a sensitive and ecologically valid measure that can track changes over time or after interventions. Other tools don’t fit this purpose as well. GRASSP focuses on overall upper-limb impairment, emphasizing strength, sensation, and prehension rather than capturing shoulder pain during wheelchair tasks. Handheld dynamometry measures muscle strength, not pain. CHART is a broader measure of function or impairment and doesn’t specifically quantify shoulder pain during the tasks wheelchair users perform.

Measuring shoulder pain as it occurs during real-world tasks for a wheelchair user with SCI is best done with a tool built specifically for that situation: the Wheelchair User's Shoulder Pain Index. This instrument asks about pain experiences during typical functional activities—like propelling the wheelchair, weight relief maneuvers, transfers, and reaching—which are precisely the tasks that stress the shoulder in daily wheelchair use. Because it targets pain across these common activities, it provides a sensitive and ecologically valid measure that can track changes over time or after interventions.

Other tools don’t fit this purpose as well. GRASSP focuses on overall upper-limb impairment, emphasizing strength, sensation, and prehension rather than capturing shoulder pain during wheelchair tasks. Handheld dynamometry measures muscle strength, not pain. CHART is a broader measure of function or impairment and doesn’t specifically quantify shoulder pain during the tasks wheelchair users perform.