The effects of a home-based arm ergometry exercise programme on physical fitness, fatigue and activity in Polio survivors: a randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of an eight-week home-based arm ergometry aerobic exercise programme on physical fitness, fatigue, activity and quality of life in Polio Survivors. DESIGN: An assessor blinded randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Home-based exercise. SUBJECTS: Fifty-five Polio survivors randomised to exercise or control groups. INTERVENTION: Home-based arm ergometry at an intensity of 50%-70% maximum heart rate, compared with usual physiotherapy care. MAIN MEASURES: The Six-minute Arm Test, Fatigue Severity Scale, Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities and SF-36. Assessments were completed at baseline and at eight weeks. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the primary outcome, exercising heart rate during the Six-minute Arm Test, between the groups at follow-up [97.6 (SD10.1) compared to 102.4 (SD13.7) beats per minute ( P=0.20)]. Blood pressure was significantly lower in the intervention group at follow-up [systolic blood pressure 132(18.6)mmHg compared to 144.1(14.6)mmHg ( P=0.002)]. There were no between group differences in the Fatigue Severity Scale ( P=0.25) or Physical Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities ( P=0.49), with a small difference in SF-36 physical component score ( P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: This home-based arm ergometry programme successfully facilitated aerobic exercise in Polio Survivors, but did not result in a significant change in physical fitness, measured by the Six-minute Arm Test.