Background
Despite a large prevalence of shoulder pain in senior populations, little research has focused on understanding how people experiencing this pain adapt to perform tasks of daily living.
Goals
The purpose of this research is to identify movement differences in independent living elderly between those with healthy shoulders and those with shoulder pain during specific activities of daily living, by determining rotational forces at the shoulder and using a computer model to estimate how the muscles are working.
Summary of findings
Thirty-two right hand dominant participants were recruited from the community of Kitchener/Waterloo and ranged in age from 60-100 years. A screening process was conducted prior to data collection to determine if the participant showed signs of shoulder injury. This study used the motion capture system (VICON) to collect and process all the data.
If it is possible to determine how those living with shoulder pain manage to complete activities of daily living, then it may be possible to keep seniors with these types of injuries living more comfortably and independently.
