Context: Over the last four decades, the focus of spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation has shifted from medical management to issues that affect quality of life and community participation. Physical therapists (PTs) need to design and implement interventions that result in maximal participation to provide an individual with SCI an effective rehabilitation program. Objective: The aim of this review is to assess the extent, content, and outcomes of physical therapy (PT) interventions focused on improving the participation of individuals with SCI. Methods: A search was conducted in Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, PEDro, and PsycINFO. We included studies, of all designs, focused on improving the participation of individuals with SCI using PT interventions.The primary author and a reviewer independently selected articles for inclusion, assessed articles quality, and extracted the data. Results: Five studies met the inclusion criteria. The interventions applied were 9-and 12-month body weightsupported treadmill training in two studies, a supervised 9-month exercise program, a 12-week home exercise program, and a 10-week multidisciplinary cognitive behavioral program for coping with chronic neuropathic pain. Four of five PT interventions positively impacted the individual's perceived participation and satisfaction with participation. Conclusion: The body of research by PTs on interventions to improve participation is limited. PTs must document the effects of interventions with a valid outcome tool to enable more research that examines participation. Expanding participation research will allow PTs to meet the needs of individuals with SCI and identify what interventions best facilitate integration into the community.
Context/Objective: After an individual with a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) participates in the initial rehabilitation process, they often experience limited access to physical therapy services and other fitness activities. The purpose of this study was to examine previously collected data for changes in quality of life (QoL) and functional reach in individuals with SCI following an 8-week community exercise program. Design: Secondary analysis of previously collected data. Setting: Community-based exercise program. Participants: Twenty-two participants with an average of 9 years post-SCI, both complete and incomplete injuries, and injury levels ranging from C2 to L5. Interventions: Participants completed an 8-week program, once per week for 4 hours that included a four-station circuit of resistance training, aerobic exercise, trunk stability, and education. Outcome Measures: Physical function was measured using the modified Functional Reach Test (mFRT). QoL was measured with the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire-9 (LiSAT-9). Results: The mFRT improved by 2 inches (±7.04) P < 0.001 and QoL improved as well, P < 0.001. Conclusion: The findings of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that a supervised post-rehabilitation community exercise program, like Spinal Mobility, may positively impact the QoL and functional reach in individuals with SCI.
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