Innovative Solutions

Answers to pain-free shoulder movement

Note: There have been well over 1000 studies on shoulder pain, but no clear treatment has been identified. The cost of medical treatment for shoulder pain in the United States is $7 billion annually.

Personal: For years I had chronic shoulder pain due to bone loss and was offered surgery as my only option. The more research papers I read the more I got disheartened. I crafted a building block approach where I would work the muscles of the shoulder and the related muscles of the upper body within the confines of each building block. Problems of straight-line movements, pain, and gravity had to be addressed. That was 30 years ago. I'm now 75, with no pain, no restrictions, a full range of motion, and healthy (no surgery).

Problem: The shoulder is a dynamic puzzle, where every part is interconnected and influences the others. It is crucial to adopt a unique approach when dealing with shoulder issues, as changing one element can have a ripple effect on the entire system. Any imbalance or dysfunction in one component can lead to compensation patterns and affect the overall function of the shoulder. By acknowledging the interconnectedness of the shoulder's various components, and the need to provide pain-free mobility and stability.

Looking at the whole picture, the 18 muscles attached to the scapular at the Scapulothoracic (ST) joint must dynamically control the positioning of the glenoid so that the humeral head remains centered for pain-free movement. "When weakness or neuromuscular dysfunction of the scapular musculature is present, normal scapular arthrokinematics become altered, and ultimately predisposes an individual to an injury of the GH (Glenohumeral) joint". A second part of the same answer is finding a way to return all the muscles involved in shoulder movement to optimum muscle coordination. Lastly, only then can muscle mass be developed in the exact manner in which the muscles were meant to be used for each movement (a return to when our bodies were perfect). All of this is achievable with the aid of this prototype.

The prototype was built to show that the movements are achievable.

1) Muscle Balance: The end goal is optimum Muscle Balance. Shoulder muscle imbalance is synonymous with pain. Age/muscle degeneration happens to everyone. As our bodies change, what was once perfect muscle balance is now an over-correction on itself, with the more dominant muscles doing the work of weaker ones. Limitations in movement and pain soon follow. Perfect muscle balance = increased function, stability, and the elimination of pain. 2) Valid data collection: The physical data collected will have a single interpretation, with the data remaining applicable for numerous upper-body studies. All settings are numbered, and all variables are addressed.

Movements: This approach allows for the initial targeting of the weaker muscles with safe, gentle, controlled, repetitive movements, increasing circulation and blood flow, increasing muscle coordination, and adding muscle mass and strength to the entire shoulder. The machine is designed to adapt and accommodate the specific limitations of each individual while allowing them to work towards their desired objectives.

Basis: Pedaling using only one leg is an exercise used in competitive cycling for muscle gain, improving muscle coordination, and strengthening all the leg muscles throughout the full 360 degrees of circular movement. I urge you to become familiar with the feel of this exercise. The constant change in the circular direction of force is the basis of the approach.

Prototype: A resistance wheel (arm ergometer) a starting point you can relate to. The movements are smooth, rhythmic, repetitive, precise, and safe. The length of the shaft that connects the handle controls the amount of shoulder movement. The amount of resistance is adjustable. The entire exercise takes place from an upright seated position. The position of the resistance wheel can be moved closer or further from the body. All settings are locked into position before the exercise starts. The handle is the only part of the machine in motion during the exercise. All movements occur in a single circular plane.

Changes: The resistance wheel has only one handle (ref. pedaling with one leg). Turning the resistance wheel with only one arm means a constant change in the direction of force. There is a push away, push down, pull toward, and pull up.

The next improvement is the ability to lock the wheel's position at any height (from overhead to straight down). Followed by the ability to position the wheel to any horizontal position.

We now can position the wheel anywhere within a person's normal reach, high-low, toward-away, and any horizontal position as desired, and safely exercise the muscles with a dynamic, repetitive, single-plane movement that rhythmically increases blood flow while offering complete control of the amount of arm/shoulder movement, and resistance desired.

At this point, the machine is an improvement over the arm ergometer but falls well short of the claims for pain-free optimum shoulder rehabilitation.

The following change separates it from all other machines and makes the novel solution possible.

The wheel tilts and locks into various positions, like a clock's hour hand from 12 to 5 o'clock (as pictured). Tilting the wheel in combination with wheel placement advances all possibilities. Now, every muscle involved in any shoulder movement is being developed with every wheel spin in the exact manner in which they were designed to be used for that movement. The direction of the force that circles at the shoulder in a single plane at chosen angles is made possible by the scapulothoracic joint, providing dynamic stability to combine both compression and depression. Use the hour hand of a standard analog clock as a reference point. Starting with the wheel in the normal upright position (12 o'clock position), then tilt the wheel to the 1 o'clock, 2, 3, 4, or 5 o’clock positions and spin the wheel. You will notice that the rotation and angle of the resistance wheel transfer to the exact rotation and angle of the shoulder movement. To simplify the explanation, think of the resistance wheel as your shoulder. The spinning occurs around the wheel (shoulder) in a single plane at any chosen angle. The wheel and the shoulder are mirror images of one another. Every muscle involved in the circular movement, pushing away, pushing down, pulling toward, and pulling up movement is being worked precisely as they were meant to work. Spinning in the opposite direction will exercise all the reciprocal muscles of the forward movement. Placing the resistance wheel in any location within a person's normal reach and exercising at various angles will target all variables of arm movement at that location.

Obviously, a physical 360-degree single-plane movement around the shoulder at numerous angles is impossible. The 360-degree movement happens at the shoulder.

The final variable that must be pointed out is the twisting of the hand/arm during normal movement. To draw attention to the simplicity of the machine (using a right-hand wheel placement), in the 12 o'clock angular setting of the wheel, the palms are face down on the handle, the three o’clock setting has the palm sideways, and in the 5 o’clock setting the palms are facing up (twisting of the hand/arm while performing a task in regular everyday use).

The goal is total muscle coordination and a return to maximum muscle balance with the four direct muscles, four supporting muscles, and arguably up to a dozen lesser role players.

12 o'clock

1 o'clock

2 o'clock

3 o'clock

4 o'clock

5 o'clock

Shoulder plus upper body

A second mirror image wheel is added for the other arm. Again, the machine's ability is expanded to encompass the development and rehabilitation of the entire upper body at any stage of rehabilitation. (Prototype)

Elbow positioning - is something that becomes obvious only after using the machine. The most gentle and effective shoulder exercise possible is performed with the wheel in a horizontal position and with both the machine's handle and the patient's elbow pointed down. As you raise your elbow horizontally, shoulder involvement increases, resulting in a change in shoulder movement and a more intense exercise.

In a GYM Setting

The machine is highly efficient, as each wheel spin targets multiple muscle groups, including the wrist, forearm, biceps, triceps, shoulder, neck, back, chest, and core. It works to develop all the muscles involved in a 360-degree movement, including the reciprocal muscles of that same movement, simply by spinning the wheel in reverse. As you recall, each spin has a push away, push down, pull toward, and pull up (depending on placement).

This machine is deceptively simple in appearance and operation. Little to no instruction is necessary with this user-friendly machine. All you have to do is place the wheels where you want, choose the angle and resistance you want, and start turning the wheel.

This machine is designed to offer a safe and gentle exercise suitable for individuals of all ages interested in maintaining their health and well-being. It is an efficient and effective way to engage in upper body fitness, health, and wellness training, improve circulation, perform aerobic exercises, enhance range of motion, improve the quality of life, and build muscle endurance. For athletes, it offers optimum performance in various sports such as baseball, tennis, swimming, boxing, golf, and more. Whether you are a young athlete or an older adult looking to stay active or maintain independence, this machine provides a versatile and comprehensive solution.

It's important to note that everything works because the focus is on muscle coordination and building muscle through muscle coordination. Every positional change or angular change of the wheel changes how the body reacts.

NEXT:

There are three types of spinning (using two wheels), each resulting in vastly different effects on the postural muscles of the back.

For demonstration purposes, the wheel is chest high and tilted horizontally with the handle pointed down.

1) Opposite spinning involves both hands placed far apart and then brought together. This is a power spin that is usually done in commercial gyms for maximum muscle gain in the arms, shoulders, back, and chest.

2) Reciprocal spinning is similar to pedaling a bike, with a rhythmic single-plane rocking motion that targets the postural muscles of the back. Raising the wheels overhead in a 12 o'clock position will target the entire back.

3) Same-direction spinning involves both hands moving in the same direction, creating a more intense small rocking motion that targets the postural muscles of the back and core.

The ultimate goal of these exercises is not massive bulk or superior strength but to regain the ability to do things that you enjoy pain-free and to do them better than others. A little competition among friends never hurts.

There are no known faults and there are no variables left unaccounted.

Novelapproach7@gmail.com

Back rehabilitation: I never intended to include back rehabilitation in the claims of the machine. My thoughts at the time were that it never really provided anything special.

One day, my curiosity got the better of me, and I had to find out how the back muscles reacted using the circular dynamic movements of the machine while doing a bent-over row. I stood bent at the waist, using perfect form with no resistance and slow movements. Within 15 seconds, I was on the ground with back pain that lasted three days.

For those three days, I tried to make sense of what happened.

The circular motion of spinning the wheels transfers over to a circular motion at the shoulder (which was already known), which then transfers to a circular motion around the spine, but now the back was in a weakened bent-over position, and I wound up on my knees and in pain.

Back rehabilitation takes on the same pain and movement scenario as the shoulder. Muscle imbalance caused by the aging process, degeneration, overuse, injury, or illness will result in pain and limitations in movement. The approach is basically the same safe rhythmic circular movement around the spine, increased blood flow, achieved postural muscle coordination, strengthening the postural muscles of the back while maintaining a safe upright seated position.

The postural muscles are responsible for spinal alignment, posture, balance, and the twisting of the body. Muscle balance of the back is extremely important because a “momentary imbalance creates a dysfunctional mechanical situation resulting in pain and injury.”

The focus is solely on the postural muscles (both voluntary and involuntary), which are safely targeted from an upright seated position with no bending. The goal is to strengthen and regain the natural muscle balance of the back and spine, thereby eliminating or lessening pain and restoring function.

The machine's movements provide small, controlled, rhythmic, angular, circular movement around chosen areas of the spine. The movements occur in a singular plane at desired angles, heights, and resistances. The reciprocal muscles are also targeted and developed in the exact same manner as reverse angular spinning. All this occurs while safely seated in an upright position.

The goal, again, is a return to perfect muscle balance. A return to a pain-free state where they function as initially intended and eliminate or lessen the pain by fixing the problem.

There have been well over 2200 studies on back pain. This approach offers something new, safe, and logical.

There are no claims associated with back pain - just an observation.

The prototype was created solely to demonstrate that the necessary movements are possible and to feel the effects of the movement on the body. This is only a prototype and changes need to be made.

NovelApproach7@gmail.com

White paper and current treatments

Arthroscopic subacromial decompression, autologous whole blood injection, corticosteroids (oral, bacromial injection, or intra-articular injection), electrical stimulation, excision of distal clavicle, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, ice, laser treatment, manipulation under anesthesia, suprascapular nerve block, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (oral, topical or intra-articular injection), spinal manipulation, traction, opioid analgesics, paracetamol, physiotherapy (manual treatment, stretching, and strength exercises), rotator cuff repair, shoulder arthroplasty).

Doctor/Patient recommendation's.

Researchers now believe that the best way of improving function and lessening pain is through a combination of partial solutions (stretching exercises, nerve-block treatments, opioids, muscle relaxants, strength exercises, steroids, counseling, mindfulness, spinal manipulation, traction, acupuncture, massage, tai-chi, social support, hydrotherapy, reiki, meditation, dry needling, yoga, ultrasound, hypnosis, nutrition, and hands-on therapy).

Solutions

The proper solution lies in innovation; in this case, it comes from incorporating all evidence-based findings to solve a previously unsolvable puzzle. This machine does not complement existing machines. No machine or group of machines is capable of taking this approach. Instead, it revolutionizes the field of rehabilitation, pain relief, health, and function by providing everything necessary to develop valid and logical solutions to upper body issues. It opens doors to highly effective treatments, introducing new possibilities.

Do not try and compare this machine against other machines. The current machines offer little value or no value. Instead, compare other machines against this machine.

This is a gentle, controlled, precise, multidirectional approach that adapts to any person for any reason (optimum physical rehabilitation after heart or breast surgery, health, wellness, quality of life). For now, it's shoulder rehabilitation.