Use of the Elastic Abdominal Ribbon in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury. Cases Relates

Abstract

Meantine to the breathing and circulatory complications originated by the spinal cord injury, above the sixth thoracic level, a work was accomplished with Elastic Abdominal Belt in four individuals with spinal cord injury, being two tetraplegic and two paraplegic, with the objective of verifying benefits to the quality of these individual´s life. The analysis of the results happened monthly in a period of three months, with and without Elastic Abdominal Belt, and they based on spirometers tests to evaluate the Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volum in 1st Second (FEV1) and Maximum Voluntary Ventilation (MVV), verification of the Maximum Inspiratory Pression (IPmax) and Maximum Expiratory Pression (EPmax) and Wheelchair Test that evaluated the variations of the Heart, and Breathing Frequencies and time of course. All the individuals presented improvement in the values of FVC, MVV, IPmax and EPmax. With relationship to for FEV1, only he tetraplegic improved its values. The analysis of the results obtained with Wheelchair Test demonstrated diversities of values with and without Elastic Abdominal Ribbon, in agreement with each individual. Before the small number of individuals used in that sutdy and front to hte factors that could influence the accomplishment of the tests, the effectiveness of Elastic Abdominal Belt was evidenced, in agreement with the appraised parameters, in relation to the breathing conditions and to the improvement of the quality of these individual´s life.