New perspectives on improving upper extremity function after spinal cord injury

Injury to the cervical spinal cord adversely affects arm and hand function to varying degrees depending on the level and severity of injury. These impairments typically result in reduced independence in the performance of activities of daily living and limit participation in recreational activities. There is evidence to suggest individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury may benefit from intensive rehabilitation interventions aimed at improving hand and arm function. Massed practice (repetitive activity-based training) and somatosensory stimulation (prolonged peripheral nerve electrical stimulation at submotor threshold intensity) are 2 interventions that have been shown to improve strength and function in individuals with stroke, presumably by changing cortical excitability. These techniques, however, had not previously been investigated in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). In this article the stroke and SCI literature supporting the use of massed practice and somatosensory stimulation as a potential rehabilitative tool to promote recovery of function in individuals with incomplete cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) is reviewed. Recently published research using these novel techniques in which a combination of massed practice and somatosensory stimulation resulted in increased pinch grip strength and upper extremity function in individuals with incomplete cervical SCI when compared to subjects participating in massed practice alone is presented.