Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil, 2023 · DOI: 10.46292/sci21-00065 · Published: July 1, 2023
Incomplete spinal cord injuries often lead to balance problems, making it hard to stand and move. This review looks at different therapies to improve standing balance after such injuries. The review analyzes studies on treatments like body weight-supported training and virtual reality to see how well they work for people with incomplete spinal cord injuries. The study found some evidence that virtual reality-based training can help, but more research is needed to confirm these findings and to find the best ways to improve balance.
Consider combining BWST with stimulation for better balance outcomes in individuals with iSCI.
Conduct more well-designed and appropriately powered RCTs to evaluate specific features of training interventions, especially VR-based training, to improve standing balance function in iSCI.
Understand the impairments contributing to balance dysfunction in individuals with iSCI, such as deficient motor responses and noisy somatosensory feedback, to design more appropriate and focused rehabilitation interventions.