Pulmonary Function Improves in Persons with Paraplegia after Partial Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training: a Prospective Randomized Study

Objectives: To evaluate changes in Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) parameters in individuals with paraplegia following Partial Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training (PBWSTT). Design: Randomized controlled trial Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation facility Participants: Adults with chronic SCI (n = 42). Intervention: Patients were randomly allocated in CR group (N= 20) receiving Conventional Rehabilitation or in PBWSTT group (N=22) receiving both Conventional Rehabilitation and PBWSTT for 4 weeks. Main outcome measure(s): Changes in % predicted PFT parameter for the subject’s age, sex and BMI. Results: With PBWSTT, significant PFT changes were VC (P =.009), PEF (p = .001) and ERV (p = .032). In complete SCI, PEF (p = .026) improved, while in incomplete SCI VC (p = .005), ERV (p = .029), PEF( p = .001) improved with PBWSTT. In upper neurological level of injury (NLI) (T6-T11), PBWSTT improved PEF (p = .004) alone while in lower NLI (T12-L2), with PBWSTT both ERV (p = .016) and PEF (p = .035) improved. Conclusions: With added PBWSTT most parameters including Vital Capacity, the global measure of PFT, improved significantly, especially in Lower NLI and incomplete SCI. The positive role of this noninvasive exercise based intervention in improving lung functions comes as an added benefit to the usual benefit of locomotion. This may encourage researchers to design future larger studies to validate it aiming the inclusion of PBWSTT in routine SCI rehabilitation protocols.