Does shoulder elevation affect joint position sense and muscle activation differently in upright and supine body orientations?
Muscle activation, external torque, and cutaneous sensations may combine to provide afferent feedback, and be used with centrally-generated signals to interpret the state of the limb during movement. Clinicians may prescribe open kinetic chain exercises in the upright posture with the shoulder elevated approximately 90-100°.
We believe these findings may have importance both for the directional pathogenesis of scleroderma progression and for the treatment of scleroderma with anti-TNF agents.