In today's society spinal cord injury is one of the most important

causes of disability worldwide and nationally. This is defined as any

damage to the spinal cord resulting in a temporary or permanent
change in motor function, sensory and / or autonomic response. This
injury is classified by etiology and localization, which determines
paraplegia or quadriplegia.
People with spinal cord injury have alterations in mobility and / or
sensitivity; cardiovascular and respiratory complications; pressure
ulcers and loss of bone mineral density, among others, as well as
psychologically and emotionally affected; it is because of these
changes that develop new needs for patients, their environment and
health systems
This project seeks to implement an innovative treatment using
functional electrostimulation (FES), which is the application of an
electrical current in to the muscle to cause a contraction that creates
a function.
Internationally has been studied and used this technology since 1991
in Cleveland, USA, exist a FES center which has a mission, improve
the quality of life for people with neurological and / or musculoskeletal
through the use of functional electrical stimulation, allowing the
transference
of
this
technology
to
clinical
application.
With FES therapy, people with SCI can perform a cardiovascular work
in cycle ergometer for upper and lower extremities, work in rowing,
get up from the wheelchair and finally walk.
Quality of life is a central theme in life of every individual and is
related to daily activities [5]. To achieve these, it requires specific
energy consumption obtained in most cases by aerobic type
reactions. The amount of energy depends on several factors, some
related to the environment and others to the individual, such as basal
metabolism and the degree of muscle activity.
An injury to the spinal cord leads to a significant reduction in active
muscle, this causes decreasing oxygen consumption (VO 2) of
paralyzed muscles during exercise. VO 2 is the amount of oxygen
required for the development of cellular metabolism, during exercise
increases linearly with the workload to achieve maximum aerobic
capacity, which represents the maximum amount of oxygen that the
body can absorb, transport and expend per unit of time. People with
SCI can only achieve high VO 2 values using intensively upper

extremity (causing shoulder lesions) or increase muscle mass active

during exercise using FES [3].
Studies suggest that health benefits related to exercise, such as
circulation increased , muscular hypertrophy, improve venous return,
can only be obtained with physical activity programs that including
intensities of 21 ml / kg / min of VO 2 [3] , values that could only be
obtained using functional electrostimulation in our patients.
In addition to the direct physical benefits that this brings, the positive
influence in individuals with spinal cord injury that leads the
realization of regular exercise in physical, mental and social
participation is highly proven, since an increase in oxygen
consumption, indicates better physical capacity , which leads to a
greater level of functionality; it is therefore an indirect index of social
participation, which influences the individual's personal perception of
their life situation, independence and the ability to maintain an
overall level of functioning that can achieve their personal goals and
improve their quality of life related to health.
The objective of this project is improving cardiovascular capacity of
our patients with spinal cord injury and the specific objectives are
aimed improving functionality, muscle strength and quality of life.
This goal is achieved by improving the aerobic capacity with specific
training; FES restore function and this allow the patient to perform
activities of daily living.
The training program is divided into levels based on the individual
characteristics of each patient. These were developed according to
the current evidence related to the achievement of goals individually.
Exercise
programs
are
divided
into
four
steps:
1.Basic
Program
(Strengthening
lower
limbs).
2.
Basic
Program
(Strengthening
upper
extremities).
3.
Intermediate
Program
(cycle
ergometer)
4. Advanced Program (Rowing).

Bibliografa
1. Nacional SCI Statistical Center, Birmingham, Alabama. 2012
2. ENDISC I, Primer Estudio Nacional de la Discapacidad en Chile,
2004.
3. Nighat N. Kahn; Susan P. Feldman, William A. Bauman. LowerExtremity Functional
Electrical Stimulation Decreases Platelet Aggregation and Blood
Coagulation in Persons
With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study. J Spinal Cord Med. Apr
2010;33(2):150
158.
4. Dries M. Hettinga; Brian J. Andrews. Oxygen Consumption during
Functional Electrical
Stimulation-Assisted Exercise in Persons with Spinal Cord Injury:
Implications for
Fitness and Health; Sports Med 2008, 38 (10): 825-838.
5. Manns PJ, Chad KE. Determining the relation between quality of life,
handicap, fitness,
and physical activity for persons with spinal cord injury. Arch Phys
Med Rehabil.
1999;80:1566-71.
6. Orientaciones para el Desarrollo de la Red de Rehabilitacin Fsica
en los
establecimientos de salud, MINSAL, 2011.

7. IFESS, Sociedad Internacional Estimulacin elctrica Funcional.:

http://ifess.org/