The role of roller work in the rehabilitation training of patients with spinal cord injury

Roller exercise is the most basic exercise in rehabilitation treatment and is widely used in the treatment of various diseases in the clinic. The application of roller exercise has played a positive role in promoting the rehabilitation process of patients with spinal cord injury. So, what role does roller exercise play in the rehabilitation process of patients with spinal cord injury? Today, let's talk about...

1. Roller training helps improve early postural hypotension in patients with spinal cord injury

Patients with spinal cord injury often suffer from postural hypotension in the early stage of injury, and in severe cases, they may go into shock. Postural hypotension seriously affects the patient's recovery process. Many patients are unwilling to come to the department for rehabilitation training due to the discomfort of hypotension. As time goes by, serious complications are caused to the patients, such as muscle atrophy, joint adhesion, bedsores, etc., and the symptoms of postural hypotension have not improved.

The clinical manifestations of orthostatic hypotension in patients with spinal cord injury are caused by insufficient blood supply to the brain due to a decrease in blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral arteries. Common symptoms include dizziness, blurred vision, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, etc.

When patients with spinal cord injury perform roller work, they complete the flexion and extension of the trunk in a sitting position, which stimulates the simultaneous contraction of the patient's shoulders, upper limbs, waist and abdomen muscles. This contraction helps to increase muscle strength and improve the squeezing effect of skeletal muscles on blood vessels. Studies have shown that blood vessels lose the squeezing effect of skeletal muscles, causing blood to accumulate in the lower limbs, thereby reducing the amount of blood returning to the heart [13-14]. Roller work enhances the squeezing effect of skeletal muscles on blood vessels, promotes the increase of blood flow returning to the heart, and improves the early hypotension phenomenon in patients with spinal cord injury. The improvement of hypotension is helpful for patients to exercise their limb functions.

2. Roller work activities can help improve the sitting balance ability of patients with spinal cord injury

Patients with spinal cord injury demonstrate a dynamic balance ability when performing roller work activities. Dynamic balance is a practical and highly functional sports activity, and sitting balance is one of the important foundations of daily living ability.

Functional stretch test is one of the main methods for evaluating balance function in clinical practice. It is simple and feasible and is widely used in clinical practice[15].

Functional forward extension is restricted by many factors, such as the trunk's motor ability, stability, flexibility, and toughness. When patients with spinal cord injury perform roller work, their trunks flex and extend, which improves the strength of their abdominal muscles, erector spinae muscles, and lumbar and back muscles [16]. These muscles have a high maintenance effect on the trunk's sitting balance ability. The increase in the strength of these three types of muscles plays a vital role in the stability of the patient's trunk and the dynamic balance of the trunk. At the same time, the patient's functional extension test is also improved.

While functional stretching is improved, the patient's head control ability is also exercised and improved in the training process. The improvement of the patient's head control ability also plays a complementary role in improving the sitting balance ability of the trunk.

3. Roller activities can help improve patients' daily living abilities

When patients with spinal cord injury perform roller operations, their sitting balance ability and head control ability are improved accordingly. These two improvements lay a good foundation for the patients' instrumental applications such as eating, reaching, reading, using computers and mobile phones, and returning to society through electronic information technology to realize their self-worth. It also improves the patients' BADL and IADL abilities and enhances their self-confidence in returning to society and their families.

4. Roller exercises can help reduce muscle tension in patients

When patients are doing roller work, their upper forearms are constantly flexing and extending. The roller rhythmically drives the upper limbs to flex and extend, allowing the biceps and triceps to rhythmically contract and stretch, which helps improve the muscle tension level of the upper limbs. At the same time, the trunk is also doing the same coordinated flexion and extension movements, which helps reduce the muscle tension of the patient's trunk. While the muscle tension of the patient's upper limbs and trunk is relaxed, it is beneficial for the trunk and upper limbs to perform other work activities and promote the recovery of limb function.

Roller exercise is a kind of exercise activity that is easy to operate, has a low economic burden, and has a strong value. It is an exercise activity that is worth promoting in the vast number of patients with spinal cord injuries. In clinical rehabilitation treatment, the roller has many effects on different diseases, which are worth our exploration, research, and analysis... to provide the most effective rehabilitation method for our patients.