Johnston TE, Smith BT, Oladeji O, Betz RR, Lauer RT
The purpose of this case series is to report the outcomes of a 6-month at-home cycling program for 4 children with spinal cord injury (SCI). Two children cycled with functional electrical stimulation (FES) and 2 cycled passively at home for 1 hour, 3 times per week. The 2 children cycling with FES and 1 child cycling passively exhibited improved bone mineral density, muscle volume, stimulated quadriceps strength, and lower resting heart rate. For the second child cycling passively, few changes were realized.
This case series suggests that cycling with or without FES may have positive health benefits and was a practical home exercise option for these children with SCI.
Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 2008, 31(2), 215-21