Wheelchair-modified ergometer rowing exercise in individuals with spinal cord injury: a feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy study

• Published in: Spinal cord series and cases 2022-04, Vol.8 (1), p.48-48, Article 48
• Main Authors: Hansen, Rasmus Kopp, de Wit, Johanna L. J., Samani, Afshin, Laessoe, Uffe, Figlewski, Krystian, Larsen, Ryan Godsk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/1807/2781; 692/700/459/1748; Anatomy; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Feasibility Studies; Human Physiology; Humans; Neurochemistry; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; Rowing; Shoulder; Shoulder Pain; Spinal cord injuries; Spinal Cord Injuries - complications; Water Sports; Wheelchairs
• ISSN: 2058-6124; 2058-6124
• DOI: 10.1038/s41394-022-00518-6

Study design Exploratory clinical investigation. Objectives To assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of upper-body rowing exercise adapted to wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI). Setting University exercise laboratory. Methods Eight individuals with SCI exercised on a rowing ergometer modified for wheelchair users (REMW), three times weekly, for up to 30 min per session. Participants completed feasibility and acceptability questionnaire (1–5 Likert scale), and the Wheelchair Users Shoulder Pain Index (WUSPI) before and after six weeks of exercise. Average power output (PO AVG ), distance rowed, percent peak heart rate (%HR peak) , and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) (6–20 scale) were monitored throughout the 18 exercise sessions and analyzed to evaluate preliminary efficacy of the exercise modality. Results All eight participants completed the study (97% adherence). Participants rated the exercise high on the feasibility and acceptability scale; median (interquartile range) = 5.0 (4.0–5.0), where higher numbers indicated greater feasibility. Shoulder pain was reduced by 21% yet not significantly different from baseline ( p  = 0.899). Physiological measures (%HR peak  = 80–83%; RPE = 15.0–16.0) indicated a high cardiovascular training load. From week 1 to week 6, PO AVG and distance rowed increased by 37 and 36%, respectively (both p  ≤ 0.001). Conclusions Data from six weeks of exercise on the REMW suggests that upper-body rowing is a feasible and acceptable exercise modality for wheelchair users with SCI. Session data on %HR peak , RPE, and shoulder pain indicate that REMW evoked moderate to vigorous intensity exercise without exacerbation of shoulder pain. Future research is required to quantify potential training-induced changes in cardiorespiratory fitness.