Virtual reality in the recovery of balance in people with incomplete spinal cord injuries
Keywords:
muscle strength, postural balance, rehabilitationAbstract
Introduction: People with incomplete spinal cord injury present balance disorders that affect their functional capacity and require physical therapy. Virtual reality-based interventions are considered promising therapies for restoring balance in these patients.
Objective: To describe the physiotherapeutic principles and benefits of virtual reality that promote balance recovery in people with incomplete spinal cord injury.
Methods: A bibliographic review was conducted of updated information published in journals indexed in regional databases (Scielo, Latindex, and Redalyc) and high-impact databases (Scopus, PubMed, and Medline) over the last 5 years. Health descriptors in English, Spanish, and Portuguese were used, along with Boolean operators (OR, NOT, and AND) to increase and optimize search results. Google Scholar was used as the search engine to locate information. A total of 89 documents were identified, of which 30 contributed information to the study.
Development: The main results of the research include a synthesis of balance characteristics in people with incomplete spinal cord injury, as well as a summary of interventions that have reported improvement.
Conclusions: Virtual reality training includes single or combined therapies that can be effective in restoring balance. These trainings involve varied movements and provide multimodal feedback that activates and reorganizes neurophysiological processes, networks, and cortical areas, leading to improved balance and mobility.
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References
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