WUSPI descriptive statistics (n = 18).

BackgroundPain after spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most important contributors to poor rehabilitation outcomes, reduced quality of life (QOL) as well as poorer physical, social, and psychological functioning.ObjectiveTo determine the correlation of overall and shoulder pain on functioning and QOL in community-dwelling people with SCI.MethodsThis quantitative correlational study included people with SCI with or without pain, who were discharged from five rehabilitation hospitals in Gauteng, South Africa. The presence of pain, wheelchair function, and QOL were investigated using the Numeric Rating Scale, Wheelchair Function Test Questionnaire, and the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Pectoralis minor muscle (PMm) length was measured using a Vernier caliper and the Scapular Dyskinesis test was used to observe for scapular dyskinesis. Descriptive statistics; Independent t-tests, ANOVA tests, and Fisher’s exact tests were performed using the SPSS v27 at a 0.05 level of significance.Results85% of the 122 participants reported overall pain, mainly burning (32.7%) and below the level of injury (39.4%), with only 14.8% reporting shoulder pain. There was no overall difference in QOL between participants with and without pain, however, pain prevented individuals from doing what they needed to do (p p p p ConclusionPain is problematic after SCI and although shoulder pain is not as prominent, it has the potential to negatively impact an individual’s ability to use their wheelchair effectively.ContributionFindings from this study emphasise the negative role of pain on life satisfaction and QOL. Stakeholders involved in SCI rehabilitation can consider including comprehensive pain management within the interprofessional model of care.