Spinal Cord Injury Cervical
Conditions
Keywords
Blood flow-restricted resistance exercise, Physical therapy, Rehabilitation, Electrical stimulation
Brief summary
Recovery of arm and hand motor control is critical for independence and quality of life following incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). Blood flow-restricted resistance exercise (BFRE) has emerged as a potential treatment addressing this need, but treatment guidelines and research reporting effectiveness are sparse. The purpose of this work is to provide case reports of people with cervical iSCI who use BFRE supplemented by electrical stimulation (ES) to increase the strength and functional use of selected upper extremity muscles.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALBlood flow-restricted resistance exercise
Participants will engage in baseline measurement of blood pressure, strength of target muscle contractions, and level of support needed for functional task performance. They will then begin BFRE treatment supplemented by electrical stimulation, if needed, two times weekly. Each exercise session will include performance of four sets of 20 repetitions of target muscle contraction on each side of the body followed by functional task performance.
Sponsors
Quality Living, Inc.
Study design
Observational model
CASE_ONLY
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
19 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Incomplete cervical spinal cord injury * Resting blood pressure between 80/50 mmHg and 150/90 mmHg for at least three consecutive days * Native speaker of English
Exclusion criteria
* Recent history of deep vein thrombosis or cardiovascular disease including uncontrolled hypertension or a blood-clotting disorder * Routine experience of orthostatic hypotension as defined as a drop in systolic/diastolic blood pressure greater than 20/10 mmHg when engaging in physical activity * Severe cognitive, communication, or behavioral disorder as determined by treatment team
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in muscle strength | Baseline and end of treatment at a maximum of 6 months | Change in strength of target muscle(s) contraction as measured in pounds of force using a dynamometer. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in number of repetitions of unassisted target muscle(s) contractions | Baseline and end of treatment at a maximum of 6 months | Tally of the number of target muscle contractions participant can perform during a single treatment session (80 repetitions max) without BFRE or electrical stimulation assistance. |
| Change in support required to perform functional task | Baseline and end of treatment at a maximum of 6 months | Professional assessment using the 7-point Functional Independence Measure (1 = total assistance; 7 = complete independence) to rate the level of support a participant requires to perform a functional task. |
| Change in perceived exertion when performing a functional task | Baseline and end of treatment at a maximum of 6 months | Participants will use the Borg category-ratio 10 Rating Exertion scale (0 = no exertion; 10 = highest level of effort) to rate the effort they expend to perform a functional task. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORSara Waid, DPT
Quality Living, Inc.
Outcome results
None listed