Feasibility Telerehabilitation at Home on Body Composition,Anthropometric Measures and Muscular Strength After Interruption 4–5 Years of Spinal Cord Injury: Serial Cases Study on Islamic State of Iraq and Syria War Survivors in Iraq

Abstract

Introduction:

The war caused huge devastation to rehabilitation centers in Mosul City, leading to a significant gap in rehabilitation services, which was further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives:

We sought to incorporate simple and safe clinical exercises by utilizing common household items, thereby maximizing effectiveness through a combination of psychological simulation and physical impact while ensuring safety, and evaluate its efficacy as a home telerehabilitation program (HTRP) for participants with spinal cord injury (SCI) following a 4- to 5-year rehabilitation interruption.

Methods:

Eighteen volunteers, including 13 with SCI (injuries sustained 53.4–55 months prior), were split into an experimental group (Exp., n = 8), a first control group (first Con., n = 5), and a second control group of healthy individuals (second Con., n = 5), averaging 21.2 years old. The HTRP focused on muscles and whole-body joints, conducted with five weekly sessions gradually increasing from 45 to 120 min, with sufficient rest. Assessments occurred every 3 months.

Results:

The Friedman test indicated no significant effect of HTRP on weight, body mass index, 3 of 4 anthropometric measures, and 4 of 19 muscle strength tests, p > 0.05, and small effect sizes (ES). However, significant effects were observed in pelvic strength (p < 0.001, ES = 0.73), exceeding control groups (first Con. 1.6%, second Con. 1.0%). Muscle strength in the lower extremities, head, and trunk showed significant improvements (p < 0.05, ES = 18.3–81.8%), it is indicating functional enhancement despite morphological weaknesses, particularly in individuals with SCI.

Conclusion:

The HTRP demonstrated weak effects on muscle morphology but strong effects on functionality, highlighting its potential for long-term management and improvement of muscle functional outcomes in individuals with SCI, even after prolonged rehabilitation interruptions.