The effect of virtual reality on restoring the balance of adult patients with spinal cord injury

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a type of injury that presents a high degree of disability and causes motor and sensory deficits. Applying virtual reality (VR) therapy can help better rehabilitate patients with SCI by improving their balance and other functional parameters. The aim of this review is to describe recent research data on the efficacy of this method in improving balance in adult patients with SCI. The Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and PEDro databases were searched for articles published from 2015 to date in English with the following keywords: spinal cord injury, virtual reality, balance, rehabilitation. The review included 10 articles (five clinical trials and five systematic reviews). Discussion-Conclusions: The application of VR can significantly contribute to the improvement of static, postural and dynamic balance in patients with SCI. The results of this review show that approximately 20 sessions of 30-60 minutes each are able to improve balance in these patients. More clinical studies are needed to draw safer conclusions.