Wheelchair use: a physical sign in gastroenterological practice

Chiotakakou-Faliakou, E, Dave, U and Forbes, A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7416-9843 (1996) Wheelchair use: a physical sign in gastroenterological practice. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 89 (9). pp. 490-492. ISSN 0141-0768

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Abstract

Diagnosis of functional abdominal pain requires exclusion of organic causes, and many patients undergo considerable investigation. A positive physical sign supporting a functional diagnosis could therefore be of benefit. Wheelchair use specifically for abdominal symptoms was suspected to represent such a sign. Review of 300 consecutive new referrals to a gastroenterology clinic revealed 10 wheelchair users. In four women the chair was used because of the abdominal condition. The final diagnosis (with follow-up to at least 12 months) was functional abdominal pain in each of these cases. All four had had surgery without symptom relief, and all had used their chairs intermittently (mainly for social occasions and hospital visits) for at least 12 months. They believed that normal walking was rendered impossible by abdominal pain whereas the other six wheelchair users gave a clear account of lower limb pain or weakness. Secondary gain with reinforcement of the 'sick role' was felt to be the probable explanation for wheelchair use in the former group. Wheelchair attendance at the gastroenterology clinic, in the absence of lower limb symptoms, is a rare observation but one that may usefully be added to criteria for diagnosis of a functional disorder.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	abdominal pain,adult,aged,female,follow-up studies,humans,middle aged,psychomotor disorders,sick role,wheelchairs
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Gastroenterology and Gut Biology Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Nutrition and Preventive Medicine
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	21 Jul 2014 15:56
Last Modified:	24 Oct 2022 23:59
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/49546
DOI:	10.1177/014107689608900904

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