We've all heard about professional or college athletes injuring their shoulders on the field or in practice. However, injuries, surgeries, arthritis, and frozen shoulders befall the everyday folks as well. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, 2006 alone saw 7.5 million doctor visits for shoulder problems. On top of that, an estimated three to five percent of the population annually suffers from frozen shoulders.
Whether the patient is an athlete or a mere mortal, the steps in regaining function of the shoulder are the same: surgery, if necessary, then physical therapy to regain strength and flexibility in the affected joint. The SlingPROM is a device for helping to regain mobility in the shoulder. When someone has surgery or is recovering from an injury or arthritis to the shoulder, goals for treatment include regaining flexibility of the joint and the surrounding muscles. Exercises for these goals are prescribed, but in order to meet them, the joint needs lubrication as well as nourishment, and the collagen fibers in the surrounding muscles need to be lengthened. These early goals are achieved through passive range of motion exercises (PROM).
PROM exercises are the first step in gaining mobility post-injury or -surgery. They may be facilitated by a physical therapist. He or she guides the patient's arm through a series of stretches to regain motion in the shoulder and reduce pain. The problem with this is that the patient, anticipating discomfort either consciously or unconsciously, freezes up and inhibits the exercise. By tensing the rotator cuff muscles in an effort to shield the affected joint, the exercise becomes AROM (active ROM) and increases the amount of pain.
With the use of a SlingPROM, the patient is in complete control over the arm's movement. The arm is placed in a sling attached to a pulley system. With the other hand, the patient pulls on the cord. Motion can be directed up and down or front to back while the patient relaxes, knowing that he or she will be comfortable throughout the session. There's no anticipatory tension, thus decreasing discomfort.
Unlike standard shoulder pulleys, there's no handle to grip and turn the exercise into AROM, which is contraindicated in recovery from some surgeries and frozen shoulders. It only activates 5% of the supraspinatus muscle as opposed to more than 18% if the pulleys with handles are used. Use of the SlingPROM also reduces premature scapular elevation earlier than other methods, plus the physical therapist can perform JT Mobs while the patient uses the SlingPROM.
Reviews posted on the website indicate quick and favorable results. One physical therapist worked with an elderly lady who had fractured her humerus. After one therapy session using a SlingPROM, she had increased her ROM by ten degrees.
The SlingPROM isn't just for use at a clinic, either. They were developed by a physical therapist for home use as well as professional settings. No matter the setting, the SlingPROM is a valuable tool in recovery from a wide range of shoulder issues.
Fran Jablway
and
Hulet Smith, OT
