The effectiveness of community-based upper body exercise programs in persons with chronic paraplegia and manual wheelchair users: A systematic review |
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Authors: | Renata Matheus Willig,Ivo Garcia,Ná dia Souza Lima da Silva,Rui Corredeira,Joana Carvalho |
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Affiliation: | 1.Research Centre in Physical Activity, Health and Leisure (CIAFEL), Faculty of Sport Science, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal;2.Faculty of Sport Science, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal;3.Post-Graduate Program in Exercise Science and Sports, University of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
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Abstract: | Context: Physical activity has been beneficial to health, functional independence and quality of life in individuals with spinal cord injury. However, there is no consensus concerning the effects of community-based upper-body exercise for people with paraplegia who use a manual wheelchair.Objective: Conduct a systematic review of evidence of upper-body exercise effects able to be developed in a community-setting, on both functional independence and quality of life, for individuals with chronic paraplegia who use a manual wheelchair.Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Ebsco, SportDiscus and Web of Science databases were browsed, searching for studies that combined words as paraplegia, exercise, functional independence and quality of life and their synonyms, published from January/1998 to December/2018 in English. PEDro scale and the Cochrane tool analyzed methodological quality and risk of bias, respectively.Results: Four studies were selected out of 4004. Studies conducted aerobic arm-ergometer and resistance training predominantly at home. Upper-limb functionality and wheelchair propulsion assessed functional independence, but only the first presented positive effects after resistance training. Resistance and aerobic arm-ergometer training seemed to improve health-related and subjective quality of life.Conclusion: Studies have shown low methodological quality and high risk of bias. Aerobic arm-ergometer and resistance training were the most upper-body exercises used. Resistance training improved functional independence while both types of exercise induced positive effects on quality of life. Future studies with uniform and high-quality methodology should be conducted with exercise in community-dwelling people with paraplegia who use a manual wheelchair. |
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Keywords: | Spinal cord injury Exercise Functional independence Quality of life |
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