Exercise Program for Individuals With SCI in Community

Study on the Safety and Effectiveness of a Rehabilitation Exercise Program for Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury in Community: A Randomized Controlled Trials

Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) who have reduced mobility have difficulty exercising on their own without proper guidance in the community. Community-based exercise programs are effective in removing various barriers such as lack of exercise programs, lack of experts, and lack of facilities. This study aims to verify the effectiveness and safety of a systematically designed customized exercise program for patients who live in the community and want to participate in exercise. Our study results will serve as a basis for creating an environment where more individuals with SCI can continue to exercise proactively and in the long term.

People with SCI must perform regular exercise to improve function, quality of life, and reduce medical costs. However, SCI people with reduced mobility have difficulty exercising on their own without proper guidance in the community. Rehabilitation exercise for SCI people should be applied based on accurate functional assessment, and risk factors related to exercise should also be assessed. Community-based exercise programs are effective in removing various barriers such as lack of exercise programs, lack of experts, and lack of facilities.

This study aims to verify the effectiveness and safety of a systematically designed customized exercise program for SCI people who live in the community and want to participate in exercise. Based on the results of many previous studies, the investigators expect that program participants will have improved cardiopulmonary endurance and quality of life. Our study results will serve as a basis for creating an environment where more people with SCI can continue to exercise preemptively and in the long term.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Spinal cord injury patients who are 19-65 years old or above and residing in the local community
• Individuals who can not walk independently for more than 10 meters without assistance from others
• Individuals whose elbow extensor strength is greater than muscle manual test (MMT) Fair

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals who have difficulty understanding the exercise program or expressing their symptoms
• Individuals who cannot participate in the intervention exercise program due to serious cardiovascular diseases
• Individuals who are deemed unsuitable for this study by a specialist in rehabilitation medicine due to other medical conditions