Wheelchair-modified ergometer rowing exercise in individuals with spinal cord injury: a feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy study.
Spinal Cord Ser Cases 2022;
8:48. [PMID:
35487894 PMCID:
PMC9054742 DOI:
10.1038/s41394-022-00518-6]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN
Exploratory clinical investigation.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of upper-body rowing exercise adapted to wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI).
SETTING
University exercise laboratory.
METHODS
Eight individuals with SCI exercised on a rowing ergometer modified for wheelchair users (REMW), three times weekly, for up to 30 min per session. Participants completed feasibility and acceptability questionnaire (1-5 Likert scale), and the Wheelchair Users Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI) before and after six weeks of exercise. Average power output (POAVG), distance rowed, percent peak heart rate (%HRpeak), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) (6-20 scale) were monitored throughout the 18 exercise sessions and analyzed to evaluate preliminary efficacy of the exercise modality.
RESULTS
All eight participants completed the study (97% adherence). Participants rated the exercise high on the feasibility and acceptability scale; median (interquartile range) = 5.0 (4.0-5.0), where higher numbers indicated greater feasibility. Shoulder pain was reduced by 21% yet not significantly different from baseline (p = 0.899). Physiological measures (%HRpeak = 80-83%; RPE = 15.0-16.0) indicated a high cardiovascular training load. From week 1 to week 6, POAVG and distance rowed increased by 37 and 36%, respectively (both p ≤ 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Data from six weeks of exercise on the REMW suggests that upper-body rowing is a feasible and acceptable exercise modality for wheelchair users with SCI. Session data on %HRpeak, RPE, and shoulder pain indicate that REMW evoked moderate to vigorous intensity exercise without exacerbation of shoulder pain. Future research is required to quantify potential training-induced changes in cardiorespiratory fitness.
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