Musculoskeletal Pain Due to Wheelchair Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction Wheelchair users are at a high risk of experiencing non-neuropathic pain of musculoskeletal origin as a result of being wheelchair-bound. The aim of this systematic review was to establish the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in wheelchair users that is attributable to wheelchair use, and to describe the different pain syndromes and discuss risk factors and management options. Methods After a systematic MEDLINE search, we identified 40 papers eligible for inclusion. Results The pooled prevalence of musculoskeletal pain at any location was 50% (95% CI 33–67%). The most common pain syndrome was shoulder pain (pooled prevalence 44%, 95% CI 36–52%). Wheelchair users were 5.8 times as likely to suffer from shoulder pain as controls (95% CI 2.7–12.2, p