What Does the Research Say?
Several studies have been published on the effect of using a sling on gait efficiency in individuals with a neurological shoulder, most commonly after a stroke. These studies often compare walking with a sling to walking without one to assess various parameters. Here is a summary of the key findings from these types of studies:
“Among the hemiplegic patients with a single cane, the walking endurance achieved with an arm sling significantly improved than those achieved without an arm sling, and the energy expenditure and energy cost was significantly lower.”1
“The effect of wearing the elastic arm sling on cadence was marginal (p = 0.05), however, wearing the sling was associated with a significant improvement in velocity (p = 0.008). Furthermore, patients who used the elastic arm sling showed increases in the step lengths of the affected (p = 0.016) and unaffected (p = 0.027) limbs. There were also significant differences in the stride lengths of the affected (p = 0.005) and unaffected (p = 0.018) sides between with and without the use of the elastic arm sling.”2
How to determine if a sling is needed?
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References
- Jeong YG, Jeong YJ, Koo JW. The effect of an arm sling used for shoulder support on gait efficiency in hemiplegic patients with stroke using walking aids. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2017 Jun;53(3):410-415. doi: 10.23736/S1973-9087.17.04425-2. Epub 2017 Jan 24. PMID: 28118695.
- Hwang YI, An DH. Immediate effects of an elastic arm sling on walking patterns of chronic stroke patients. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015 Jan;27(1):35-7. doi: 10.1589/jpts.27.35. Epub 2015 Jan 9. PMID: 25642032; PMCID: PMC4305591.
- Yıldırım, Mustafa Aziz, et al. “Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Different Types of Slings in Shoulder Subluxation After Stroke.” Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, vol. 25, no. 2, 2022, pp. 233-39.
