Can A Person With Paraplegia Work Out To Keep Their Legs Toned?

Paraplegia is paralysis of the lower extremities and trunk. Paraplegia occurs because of an injury to the spinal cord at the level of the first thoracic vertebrae or lower. Paraplegics typically experience a severe drop in muscle mass after injury and are at risk for health complications like blood clots, pressure sores and osteoporosis. Strong, toned legs can help prevent many health complications.

Tone

Tone has a dual meaning for paraplegics. Muscle tone may refer to muscle strength or muscle mass. Tone can also relate to spastic tone, the involuntary and prolonged contraction of a muscle due to stimulation of your damaged central nervous system. Spastic tone can make life in a wheelchair very challenging; Spastic tone may increase your risk of falling out of your wheelchair and make transferring out more difficult. Spastic tone also has benefits, however. It helps maintain circulation to your paralyzed extremities and maintain your muscle mass and bone strength. Presence of spastic tone depends on each individual injury and not all paraplegics will experience it. Some paraplegics may take prescription medications that prevent spasms and spastic tone from occurring, such as baclofen, valium and neurontin.

Electrical Stimulation

Your muscles contract when they are stimulated with electricity. Repetitive stimulation can improve muscle tone in the paralyzed muscles of your lower body. Electrical stimulation also improves circulation to the area. Electrical stimulation devices may stimulate one or multiple muscles at a time. The Functional Electrical Stimulation bicycle stimulates several muscle groups while moving your legs in a bicycling motion, providing additional benefits of gait training, patterned neural activity and cardiovascular activity. Consult your doctor or physical therapist to determine if electrical stimulation is right for you. He can prescribe a machine for regular use at home.

Other Exercises

Spastic tone is often viewed as a disadvantage by the spinal cord injury community, but paraplegics who are prone to moderate spastic tone can perform exercises that stimulate muscle contractions by triggering spastic tone. Repetitive muscle contractions will help improve overall muscle tone. Each person's tone is triggered by different exercises. Passive range of motion exercises, load bearing and passive gait training are just a few types of exercises that might stimulate muscle contractions due to spastic tone.

Considerations

Consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program. Discuss your dosage of antispasmodic medications and determine how it might affect your ability to maintain muscle mass in your legs. Work out your legs as frequently as possible, as permitted by your physician. Take safety precautions to protect your joints and skin. Perform exercises under the supervision of a medical or rehabilitation professional, if possible.