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Review
. 2024 May 23;13(11):3066.
doi: 10.3390/jcm13113066.

Effectiveness of Exercise Programs for Alleviation of Upper Body Pain in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review

Jiyoung Park  1 , Jihyun Kim  2 , Seon-Deok Eun  2 , Dongheon Kang  2
Affiliations
Review

Effectiveness of Exercise Programs for Alleviation of Upper Body Pain in Patients with Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review

Jiyoung Park et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

(1) Background: Upper body pain, particularly in the limbs and shoulders, is a common symptom among patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and wheelchair users. Despite the focus on resistance muscle training as a suitable intervention for SCI individuals, findings across different populations and conditions have been inconsistent. (2) Methods: We conducted a systematic review to elucidate the correlations among exercise interventions, muscle strength enhancement, and pain reduction. A comprehensive literature search was performed using the keywords "spinal cord injury," "pain," "exercise," "disability," "paraplegia," and "tetraplegia" across the DBpia, EMBASE, PubMed, and Science Direct databases. (3) Results: From 191 identified articles, 13 studies (1 from Korea and 12 from other countries) were selected for analysis. The results indicate that exercise interventions are effective in reducing pain in patients with SCI, with a particular emphasis on alleviating shoulder pain. (4) Conclusion: Exercise is essential for pain reduction in patients with SCI, especially those experiencing shoulder pain. However, there is a notable lack of experimental research focusing primarily on pain. The development of appropriate measurement instruments is crucial for the prevention and relief of pain in this patient population.

Keywords: shoulder pain; spinal cord injury; strength; upper body pain; wheelchair.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for new systematic reviews, which included searches of databases and registers only.
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