EMG Comparison of Sport Manual Wheelchair Propelled by Lever Drive and Push Rims and Possible Consequences for Rehabilitation: A Case Study

The goal of this paper is to demonstrate a comparison of EMG muscle activity of a subject who conducted two 4 min long rides on a manual wheelchair using push rims and lever drive. The tests were carried out on a mechanical treadmill which allowed for maintaining constant ride conditions regarding slope and velocity of the wheelchair. The resulting muscle activity is presented in % MVC as a function of elbow joint position in deg. From this case study we conclude that it is possible that using lever drive for wheelchair propulsion activates muscles of a subject differently from push rims thus enabling a different way of muscle rehabilitation.