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S. Gomes Novais Shimano1, S. Santiago Lenci2, M. Pires Pinto da Rocha3, M. Marques e Marques4, B. Thays Pereira da Silva1, D. Braga5
1Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Department of Applied Physioterapy, Uberaba, Brazil, 2Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 3Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, 4Hospital Mario Gatti, Campinas, Brazil, 5Associação de assistência à criança com deficiência, São Paulo, Brazil
Background: Visual impairment (VI) is a health condition in which the individual is deprived of the ability to see. It is directly related to increased life expectancy, prematurity and genetic problems. Functional limitation associated with the lack of accessibility generate sedentary behavior that causes loss of physical capacities, especially muscle strength. Thus, hydrotherapy presents itself as a safe method to improve this physical-functional condition. However, there is no evidence in the literature about its efficiency.
Purpose: To evaluate the effects of hydrotherapy on muscle strength, mobility and balance control in people with VI.
Methods: This is an intervention and quantitative study. It was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Brazil (number 2,496,643) and was registered at the Brazilian registry of clinical trials (trial number RBR-6nvz9j). People who attend the Institute of the Blindness in Central Brazil were invited to participate. Only 14 volunteers signed the Free and Informed Consent Form, 6 were excluded for not participating in all stages and 8 participants completed the study. For physical and functional assessment was applied the tests: gastrocnemius muscle endurance test (GMET), 1MR test, handgrip dynamometry (HD), functional reachtest (FRT) and gait speed (GS). The hydrotherapy sessions took place once a week, lasting 60 minutes divided into: warm-up, exercises to improve strength, balance, flexibility and relaxation. The techniques used were Water Specific Therapy and Water Pilates. For each exercise, a verbal command and a tactile command were created. Cohen's D test was used to analyze the effect size.
Results: There were improvement in all variables, with little clinical effect on FRT (D = 0.46), HD (D = 0.04) and 1MR (D = 0.16), moderate clinical effect on GMET (D = 0.67) and high clinical effect on GS (D = 1.55). The results show that the frequency of 1x / week promotes improvement in the control of balance, however it is insufficient to cause significant effects on the improvement of muscular strength and mobility of the trunk. On the other hand, hydrotherapy presents itself as an excellent option to change to a physically active lifestyle, as it does not present a risk of falls (common in people with VI). Other studies show that a higher frequency, in the same intervention period, can cause greater benefits in muscle strength, although these studies are not aimed at people with VI.
Conclusion(s): Hydrotherapy adapted for people with blindness proved to be effective in improving mobility and balance of the trunk, but with little effect on improving muscle strength, when performed once a week.
Implications: Hydrotherapy can be an important tool in the clinical practice of physiotherapists who work with people with VI because it provides a safe environment for performing global exercises that require positions where there is a risk of falls.
Funding, acknowledgements: Thanks to National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) - Brazil for research funding.
Keywords: hydrotherapy, blindness, physioterapy
Topic: Disability & rehabilitation
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro
Committee: Research Ethics Committee of Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro
Ethics number: 2496643
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
