Treating orthostatic hypotension after spinal injury
Researchers from Belgium and Norway reviewed the evidence for non-pharmacological management of orthostatic hypotension (low blood pressure upon standing) during the early rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injury.
Here’s what they found.
- The quality of the study designs varied greatly.
- 4 distinct non-pharmacological interventions for orthostatic hypotension were identified:
- Compression and pressure to the abdominal region and/or legs
- Upper body exercise
- Functional electrical stimulation applied to the legs
- Biofeedback
- The value of compression/pressure, upper body exercise, and biofeedback to control orthostatic hypotension is not proven.
- During orthostatic challenge, functional electrical stimulation consistently attenuated the fall in blood pressure.
- However, its clinical application is less well established.
More about functional electrical stimulation in patients with spinal cord injury can be found here.
8/10/08 18:36 JR