Abdominal binder and laser therapy in orthostatic hypotension management patient with tetraplegia

AIMS: To create and study the effectiveness and safety new method of rehabilitation which includes wearing an abdominal binder and laser therapy for correcting orthostatic hypotension in patients with tetraplegia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 120 patients with tetraplegia motor level C5-C8, aged 18-50 years, time since spinal cord injury from 6 mouth till 5 years who were divided into 3 groups using randomization. Group 1 (control) received a traditional rehabilitation program based on existing Russian’s clinical guidelines for physical rehabilitation spinal cord injured patients, group 2 received the same traditional rehabilitation and additional wearing of an abdominal bandage in a sitting position during the daytime, group 3 received the same rehabilitation as group 2 additionally with low level laser therapy using a combined method (neck and heart points). The drop out bias was − 4 patients (3%). RESULTS: In all groups, positive dynamics were noted in the functional, vegetative and psychological states. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method of orthostatic hypotension nonpharmacological management using wearing an abdominal bandage in a sitting position and a laser therapy combined method is safe, effective and acceptable for improving orthostatic tolerance, improve quality of life, and reduce mild depressive disorders in tetraplegic patients.