Iranian Journal of Rehabilitation Research in Nursing

Introduction: There are various treatment methods include land-based training, hydrotherapy, locomotor training with bodyweight support and functional electrical stimulation after spinal cord injury. So, the aim of this study was the comparison of effect of conventional exercise and locomotor exercise with body weight support (LTBWS) on motor function, body composition in incomplete paraplegic persons. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study. 17 voluntary paraplegic spinal cord injured persons, selected availability and voluntarily. The subjects were randomly assigned to locomotor group (N=10) and conventional exercises group (N=7). The subjects trained for 12 weeks, four sessions per week and 60 min per session. To assess motor function in spinal cord injured patients incomplete spinal cord injured patients walking speed were used. Weight of the subjects was measured using scales installed on the device. Results: The data showed that there were significant differences in changes of body mass (P=0.003), body mass index (P=0.001), body fat percent (P=0.001) and walking speed (P=0.001) between locomotor and conventional exercise groups. Conclusions: LTBWS in comparison with conventional exercise can improve body composition and motor function better than conventional exercises in paraplegic spinal cord injured persons.