Abstract:
Backround: Spinal cord injuries are one of the most serious physical injuries. People with spinal cord injury generally suffer from one or more types of pain. Neuropathic pain is the most common of these and can lead to functional impairment as it is associated with loss of mobility.
Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of reflexology massage and virtual reality on improving the function of paraplegics.
Methods: The sample of this study consisted of Athletic men paraplegics who are members of the Veterans and Disabled Board of Tehran Province. Forty-five paraplegic athletes were randomly divided into three groups of control, virtual reality and reflexology, using the letters of the alphabet in the medical record. The two experimental groups performed three sessions of intervention per week for 6 weeks and the control group did not receive any intervention. Performance-related shoulder girdle strength and range of motion were evaluated by Mobe MMT dynamometer and Mobee Electrogonometer, respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23 software at a significance level of 0.05.
Results: The results of statistical tests showed that the strength and range of motion of the shoulder girdle In different movements of Outward rotation, inward rotation,extention and flexion after selecting 6 weeks of training according to available research, intervention in both massage and virtual reality groups increased (P=0/003, P=0/001, P=0/02, P=0/003). The increase in strength and range of motion according to the means of change was also more significant in the virtual reality group.
Conclusion: The results showed that the application of reflexology massage as well as the virtual reality system was effective in improving the range of motion and strength of the shoulder girdle in people with paraplegia; therefore, people with paraplegia and the educators and nurses who work with them can use the benefits of these interventions to improve their performance.
Keywords: Virtual Reality, Reflexology, Para Athlete, Spinal Cord Injury