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Teleexercise for Persons With Spinal Cord Injury: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Case Series
Byron Lai1,2, James Rimmer1,2, Beth Barstow1
1School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies
|June 6, 2017
Summary
Remote home exercise programs using teleexercise technology are safe and feasible for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). This approach effectively overcomes barriers to exercise participation and improves outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Assistive Technology
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Spinal cord injury (SCI) significantly impairs physical function, limiting community exercise participation.
- Technological innovations offer remote delivery of safe and effective home-based exercise for individuals with SCI.
- Addressing barriers to exercise is crucial for improving health outcomes in the SCI population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of a remotely delivered home exercise program for individuals with SCI.
- To explore potential effects on aerobic fitness, physical activity, and well-being.
- To evaluate program acceptability through participant self-report.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods design with four adults with SCI over an 8-week intervention and 3-week non-intervention period.
- Remotely delivered aerobic exercise program (30-45 min, 3x/week) using an upper body ergometer, tablet, and custom teleexercise application.
- Outcomes included adherence, exercise data recording, aerobic capacity (VO2 peak), physical activity levels, life satisfaction, and quality of life.
Main Results:
- 100% adherence to all 24 intervention sessions; 8% makeup sessions.
- Teleexercise system successfully recorded 85% of exercise data; program well-tolerated with no adverse events or dropouts.
- Participants reported positive outcomes, with teleexercise circumventing common exercise barriers.
Conclusions:
- Teleexercise systems provide a safe and feasible method for home-based exercise delivery in individuals with SCI.
- Participants favored teleexercise for its ability to overcome exercise participation barriers.
- Promising results warrant further investigation in larger SCI populations.
