Effectiveness of Virtual Rehabilitation on Functional Outcome for Wheel Chair Navigation in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury - A Pilot Study

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is the injury of the spinal cord from the foramen magnum to the cauda equina which occurs as a result of compulsion, incision or contusion. Spinal cord injury patients lead to loss of functional outcome like balance, strength and general mobility because of which may lead to life threatening condition that carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Spinal cord injury patients (SCI) should undergo balance rehabilitation to restore the key determinants of ambulation, such as balance, strength, muscle tone, and proprioception. Recently, studies have used virtual reality (VR) as a promising tool for clinical rehabilitation in a variety of neurological disorders. Purpose: To evaluate the effect of virtual Rehabilitation on Functional Outcome for Wheel chair Navigation In patients with Spinal Cord Injury Methodology: Eight SCI patients with Cervical and Thoracic level Injury were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups: Conventional Group (04patients) and Experimental +conventional Group (04 patients). Both groups underwent the conventional rehabilitation program. An additional training with VR therapy was conducted for 6 weeks with 20 minutes per session and 3 sessions per week. The outcome measures were Modified Functional Reach Test, Range of Motion of Upper Limb and Wheelchair Propulsion Test. Result: In this study Virtual Rehabilitation Group showed significant improvement in Balance, ROM and Wheelchair Propulsion compared to Conventional group (p <0.01 considered significant). Conclusion: Virtual Rehabilitation can be considered as adjunctive therapy for improving functional outcome for wheelchair navigation purpose. Keywords: Spinal Cord Injury, Virtual Rehabilitation, wheelchair navigation