Respiratory Physiotherapy in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: A spinal cord injury is a trauma or lesion to the spinal cord, which is made up of white matter (ascending and descending tracts) and grey matter (sensory neuron and motor neuron). It causes muscle paralysis and affects sensory abilities and other bodily processes below the level of the injury. Between 2,50,000 and 5,00,000 people worldwide experience spinal cord injuries each year, according to the WHO. In India, the prevalence of SCI is 0.15 million, with an average yearly incidence of 15,000 cases. Objective- To study the effect of respiratory physiotherapy in spinal cord injury patients. Method: A Systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines was conducted on 20 articles through different databases like PubMed, google scholar which were identified, sorted and screened according to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria post which the studies were assessed for quality. Result: Data from the selected studies were extracted under the headings of title /author, type of study design, intervention /device /technique elaborated in the study, and key highlights of the study and was tabulated systematically Conclusion: This study concludes that respiratory physiotherapy improves respiratory muscle strength and function in SCI Patients.