Comparação entre membros da força e resistência de preensão manual em indivíduos com dor no ombro

Abstract

Introduction: Musculoskeletal disorders are common. The biomechanical relationship between the shoulder and hand is an area of study that is gaining increasing relevance, as hand muscle activity is an essential kinesiological part of many activities of daily living and can contribute to upper limb disorders. Studies have demonstrated a positively significant relationship between grip strength and upper limb function. However, it is not clear in the literature whether individuals with shoulder pain present changes in handgrip strength and endurance in the symptomatic limb. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare handgrip strength and endurance between symptomatic and non-symptomatic limbs in individuals with unilateral shoulder pain. Methods: Observational, analytical and cross-sectional study, carried out in the Neuromuscular Performance Analysis laboratory (LAPERN) of the Department of Physiotherapy at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). Sample: Individuals aged between 18 and 64, of both sexes. Procedures: All participants signed the Informed Consent Form and answered the Penn Shoulder Score (PSS), Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), and the Cochin Hand Functional Scale (CHFS) questionnaire for assessing upper limb and hand function. As the main outcome, the variables of grip strength and resistance were evaluated using the hydraulic grip dynamometer (JAMAR). Furthermore, after each test, pain (0-10) and perceived exertion (0-10) were assessed. Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics Version 21.0 for Windows. For parametric variables, a paired Student's t test was performed to compare limbs. For non-parametric variables, the Wilcoxon test was used to compare between limbs. Results: Fifteen individuals (8 men and 7 women), with a mean age of 35.2±17.0 years and BMI of 20.87±3.33kg/m² participated in the study. The average time of pain was 16.88±15.64 months and they had a mean final score on the PSS of 57.73±5.71, 35.90±20.29 on the SPADI, and 7.00±7.45 on the CHFS. When comparing limbs, no difference was found for the variables of grip strength and resistance, nor for pain and effort. Conclusion: There was no difference between limbs for grip strength and endurance in individuals with unilateral shoulder pain.