Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Effects of Corporal Suspension and Pendulum Exercises

Marco Aurélio Vaz, PhD26 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an exercise program proposed by the CHORDATA® Method on the functionality, maximal isometric torque, muscle activity and muscle thickness of trunk muscles in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury. The hypothesis is that the CHORDATA® Method could reduce the deleterious effects of the traumatic spinal cord injury.

Participants were allocated into one of two groups (rehabilitation or control). Rehabilitation group (8 weeks of rehabilitation; CHORDATA® Method) Control group (patients with up to three years of traumatic spinal cord injury): Participants maintained their daily-life activities routine during the same eight weeks period and were tested before and after this control period. At the end of the control period, patients interested at participating on the training program were included in the intervention group

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Spinal Cord Injuries

Interventions

RehabilitationOTHER

The CHORDATA® Method (16 sessions; 50 minutes each; twice a week) consisted of three exercises: (1) anterior pendulum, with the patient seated on a chair, upper limb suspended by springs and straps, and actively moving the trunk forward; (2) posterior pendulum exercise, on a similar position as exercise (1) but now moving the trunk backwards and recruiting the abdominal wall muscles during a posterior pelvic tilt motion; and (3) stand-up and sit-down exercise, patient with knees fixed anteriorly, initiating the standing-up movement by pulling back and down the springs, trying to maintain the standing position for as long as possible, balancing the trunk and transferring the supporting force from the upper limbs to the lower limbs.

Eligibility

Sex: MALEMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: \- Patients that suffered traumatic spinal cord injury in the last 42 months, capable of transporting themselves for rehabilitation at the physical therapy clinic and for the neuromuscular tests at the laboratory where measurements were performed. Exclusion Criteria: * Body weight above 95kg * Physical and functional limitations impeding them of performing physical activity * Physically incapacitating diseases (e.g severe cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, oncologic diseases, systemic arterial hypertension) * Visual deficit that impeded reading * Recurrent vertigo or hypotension to exercise * Engaged in other treatments that could constitute a confounding effect * Changed their daily life activities during the study

Locations (1)

Exercise Research Laboratory, School of Physical Education, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Torque change ( assessed by dynamometry.)

Torque is an expression of the muscular strength and was assessed by dynamometry.

Time frame: Torque was measured 2 times during the study: Pre-intervention/control and post-intervention/control (8 weeks after the first assessment).

Secondary Outcomes

Muscular electrical activation change (assessed by electromyography (EMG)

Electrical activation was assessed by electromyography (EMG).

Time frame: Muscular electrical activation was measured 2 times during the study: Pre-intervention/control and post-intervention/control (8 weeks after the first assessment).

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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