Are Established Methods of Physiotherapeutic Management for Long‐term Neurological Conditions Applicable to ‘Orphan’ Conditions such as Syringomyelia?

Abstract

Syringomyelia patients report physiotherapy to provide benefits for symptom management and quality of life. Such findings suggest that established rehabilitation techniques in more common conditions may be transferable to those less prevalent. Uptake of physiotherapy was limited, seemingly because of inadequate information, knowledge and resources. To address these deficiencies, further studies should be planned investigating the effectiveness of physiotherapy modalities, such as hydrotherapy, in parallel or in conjunction with surgery and/or pharmacology. Additionally, syringomyelia could be represented alongside similar pathologies in research trials to initiate further research questions and drivers for funding.

Active Conservative Management of Primary Spinal Syringomyelia: A Scoping Review and Perspectives for an Activity-based Clinical Approach

“…All study samples were independent, and studies were of different designs. Three of the identified studies were retrospective cohort studies using clinical data, interviews, and questionnaires ( 15 , 19 , 20 ), while 4 were case reports ( 21 – 24 ). Sample sizes varied from a single case (the 4 case studies) to 5, 14, and 67 patients who were managed conservatively in the 3 cohort studies, respectively, which in addition also reported on surgically managed patients.…”

“…Patients’ age ranged from 18 to 80 years, and, for the 4 studies reporting on this ( 21 – 24 ), syrinx locations included all parts of the medulla, often spreading over several levels. While the 2 biggest studies had mixed populations in relation to underlying pathology (both PSS and others) ( 19 , 20 ), the study by Ronen et al ( 15 ) described 5 cases that all had PSS. Among the 4 single case studies, 1 described PSS related to a specific condition (Hirayama disease) ( 21 ), and 3 referred to patients with PSS after trauma ( 22 – 24 ).…”

“…The intervention in Güler et al ( 22 ) was also aimed at strength and balance, while Arooj et al ( 21 ) also described intervention elements, such as avoidance of flexion, application of cervical collar, and training to improve muscle tone. The remaining cohort study by Smith et al ( 20 ) referred to a variety of physiotherapeutic interventions, as reported by participants of their study. Participants had received either a single intervention or a combination of these.…”

Self-management of pain and depression in adults with spinal cord injury: A scoping review

“…Before after intervention, focus groups, interviews 55 Curtis et al, (2015), Canada 49 To conduct a modified yoga program for individuals with SCI, in terms of both participant experiences and program satisfaction.…”

“…Of the 31 studies that reported the type of SCI, 20 studies had participants with both traumatic and non-traumatic injuries, 44,47,49,51,53,[56][57][58][59]61,[63][64][65]67,69,73,77,79,80,85 10 studies had participants with only traumatic injuries 45,62,66,70,72,[74][75][76]81,84 and 1 included participants with only non-traumatic injuries. 55 None of the studies reported if the participants were diagnosed with other comorbidities.…”