Intensity of shoulder muscle activation during resistive exercises performed with and without virtual reality games

Approximately 70% of individuals with spinal injury eventually develop shoulder pain. A home exercise program can reduce this pain. Virtual reality gaming (VRG) may enhance motivation for exercise. This study aimed to determine if performance of shoulder exercises integrated into VRG results in similar muscle activation as non-VRG exercise. Five volunteers with paraplegia performed shoulder exercises with and without VRG. Arm kinematics and shoulder muscle activity were recorded. No clinically significant differences were found in kinematics between conditions. Muscle activation was similar or greater during VRG than non-VRG exercise. Therefore, exercise with VRG should be effective for reducing shoulder pain after spinal injury.