The relationship between motion of the shoulder and the stated ability to perform activities of daily living.

One hundred and twenty-five patients who were seen because of symptoms related to the shoulder completed a questionnaire regarding their ability to perform activities of daily living. The ability was graded, and the grades were related to the range of motion of the shoulder with use of correlation analysis and simple and multiple linear regression analyses. All but two activities of daily living were found to correlate significantly (p < 0.001) with at least one range of motion of the shoulder. The strongest correlations (r > 0.5, Spearman rank correlation) were found for activities that are performed regularly by most patients, such as using a comb or washing the back. Less of a correlation (r < or = 0.5) was found for activities in which pain might constitute a large element or that are less specific, such as sleeping on the affected shoulder or performing work-related activities. The stated ability to perform various activities of daily living is part of a number of scoring systems for shoulder function. This implies that the ability to perform these activities reflects, among other factors, the range of motion of the shoulder. The relationships found in the present report validate various activities of daily living as measures of shoulder function and may help in the design of follow-up questionnaires.