Exercises

[Shawn]

What exercises can one do to strengthen partial return of hip, buttock, stomach, quadricep and calve muscels? After months in hospital, i returned home and got to know about a few exercises from my phyiotherspist and since then, i've been doing the same exercises (3yrs). My muscels did stengthen a bit but, i want to make it more stronger and from my experience in bodybuilding/weight lifting, one is required to do different techniques and exercises. I also haven't been to a rehab-centre so, i'm curious as to what exercises/therapies they do. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/cool.gif

[SCI-Nurse]

Shawn - What level is your injury? Is your injury complete or incomplete? Do you have any voluntary muscle ability below the level of the injury? If you do not, there is no way to strengthen the muscles, except by functional electrical stimulation. The signals for a muscle to actively contract and relax (i.e.without any assistance) come from the brain. When one incurs a spinal cord injury, these signals can no longer get to the muscle to instruct it to function.

The exercises that you are doing are probably passive, i.e. your leg is being moved by someone but the muscle is not actually contracting and relaxing. Passive exercises are very important as they keep the joints mobile and provide stretching of the muscles, thus preventing them from shortening and remaining shortened. This latter condition leads to contracted joints, which one must avoid at all costs.

It may be helpful for you to read about spinal cord injury. The following resources have clear explanations of the processes that occur when one suffers a SCI. www.spinalinjury.net (http://www.spinalinjury.net) Click on SCI 101 and the University of Alabama at www.spinalcord.uab.edu (http://www.spinalcord.uab.edu) Click on 'information and statistics', then click on 'SCI InfoSheets'; scroll to InfoSheet #4 for helpful information. CRF

[Shawn]

Thank you for replying SCI-Nurse. My level of injury is L1 - Incomplete and i do have voluntary muscle below the level of injury. I can walk with a pair of cructhes by keeping my knees locked and my quad, buttock and calve muscles are fairly strong but, my hip (reflexs) and hamstrings (not working at all) aren't. What can i do to strengthen the existing muscles and to stimulate the non-existing one's ? http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Joe B]

I am a C6-7 and find I can only exercise above the level of injury. From experience, I recommend you use good mechanics when exercising and that everyone that can use their shoulders do some lightweight exercises to keep the muscle tone in the shoulder muscles. If you dont, you run a very serious risk of damaging the tendons of the shoulder resulting in long-term problems.

I have heard many quad complain of quadbelly and problems with BMs and motility. Years ago a PT asked me if I did situps. I thought she was smoking or had misread my chart and thought I was a para. But later, I did try the situps and found that I could do them with hand weights to get my body started. (I can do the start of a situp without the weights) After a few repetitions, the muscles in my abdomen began to flex with each situp. I was sore as could be the next day, but the exercise did wonders for my BP, motility, and has kept my abdomen flatter than it would have been. This may only work if you have innervation of muscle down to about mid chest. I dont know.

Best wishes to al

Joe B

[SCI-Nurse]

Shawn - Thanks, it helps to know your level of injury. Do you use any bracing on your legs when you are on your crutches? Protocol (in the US) for this level of injury includes the use of braces on your legs, to be used in combination with the crutches. At your level of injury, the muscles that are not functional will not be able to be stimulated. However, you should be able to do some strengthening of the functional muscles.

With the paralysis that does exist, there is a resulting imbalance in your muscles that were designed to work in synchronous opposition to one another. I am not a PT and would encourage you to have professional guidance to start a strengthening program so that you do not incur an injury to either bone, joint or muscle. My general knowledge, however, is that any strengthening program begins with a low number of repetitions for a designated time period; this is followed by increasing the number of repetitions and then the sets of repetitions.

There are two sites that give information re: range of motion and stretching; there is contact information on both as well. If you are unable to obtain direct professional evaluation and guidance, I would suggest that you read the information on these and then contact these resources with a specific question: http://calder.med.miami.edu/providers/Physical/sciman.html and www.rohcg.on.ca/mobile/rom (http://www.rohcg.on.ca/mobile/rom)

I would encourage you, if it is possible, to have an evaluation by a health care professional with expertise in SCI. CRF

[alan]

Are there any exercises that would build the muscles over my shoulder blades and stop them from popping? I don't know if the shoulder area pin would allow me to do exercises, but I'd certainly try. I'm C-5.

I know there are no exercises to reduce scoliosis, or we'd all be doing them.

[Shawn]

SCI-Nurse, thank you for your response. I walk with a pair of crutches without using any leg braces. Am i in any danger for not using it and why is it protocol in the US? http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif

[SCI-Nurse]

Bracing may be indicated for a number of reasons, including protecting joints from incorrect positions during walking that could damage them over time, proper positioning during gait to prevent tripping and falls, and also to improve posture and improve efficiency of energy expenditure with walking. It would be important to see an experienced PT and orthotist to determine your own specific needs. (KLD)

[Shaun]

My shoulders used to pop and grind,i bought an uppertone use it religously and now they seem fine.It's great for strength building and you get a pretty good cardio workout as well...

.........\/PEACE
~Shaun~