IMPROVEMENT IN WHEELCHAIR PROPULSION IN PEDIATRIC WHEELCHAIR USERS THROUGH RESISTANCE TRAINING - A PILOT-STUDY

Six children, three with cerebral palsy and three with myelomeningocel e, participated in a progressive, 8-week, circuit muscular strength tr aining program, The program was designed to improve wheelchair propuls ion, an important functional outcome, Subjects performed three sets of six-repetition maximum (6-RM) upper body strength exercises, three ti mes a week, Exercises included shoulder flexion, extension, abduction, internal and external rotation, elbow flexion, extension, and shoulde r flexion/elbow extension (bench press), Subjects exercised quickly wi th little rest between each set for approximately 30 minutes per sessi on, All children used wheelchairs extensively and participated in a 50 -m, and a 12-minute wheelchair propulsion test before and after the 8- week program, The Sign test was used to determine if statistically sig nificant (P less than or equal to .05) wheelchair propulsion or 6-RM c hanges occured over the training period, Subjects improved significant ly (P less than or equal to .031) in all muscular strength (6-RM) meas ures and the 12-minute distance test, There was a trend toward improve ment in the 50-meter test, although this change was not significant (P less than or equal to .05), The results indicate that progressive res istance exercise training seems to improve muscular strength and wheel chair performance in selected disabled children. (C) 1995 by the Ameri can Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Ph ysical Medicine and Rehabilitation