Effects of an exercise program on the rehabilitation of patients with spinal cord injury

To evaluate the impact of directed physical exercise in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to measure functional independence before and after an exercise program.

Case series.

Tertiary care center.

Thirteen volunteers with thoracic SCI.

Patients participated in a 16-week exercise program, consisting of 3 weekly 120-minute sessions. They performed mobility, strength, coordination, aerobic resistance, and relaxation activities.

The FIM instrument, arm crank exercise test, wheelchair skills, maximum strength, anthropometry (body composition measurements), and lipid levels. The results were processed by using nonparametric statistical tests.

After comparing the values at the beginning and end of the program, patients showed a significant increase in the following parameters: average FIM score (p < .001) 113 +/- 7.1; weight lifted in the bench press exercise (46%, p < .0001), military press (14%, p < .0002), and butterfly press exercise (23%, p < .0001), and number of repetitions for biceps (10%, p <.0001), triceps (18%, p < .0001), shoulder abductors (61%, p < .0001), abdominals (33%, p <.009), and curl back neck exercise (19%, p < .0001). The maximum resistance achieved during the arm crank exercise test increased (p < .001), and heart rate 6 minutes after the exercise test decreased (p <.05). The time required for the wheelchair skill tests significantly decreased in all the tasks. No statistically significant changes occurred in body weight (p < .154), percentage of body fat (p < .156), lean body weight (p < .158), cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (p < .076), or maximum heart rate (p < .20). The only complication arose in a patient who developed transient sinus bradycardia and hypotension after the arm crank exercise test.

The directed exercise program had a positive impact for most of the variables of the study.