Knowledge level of physical education professionals for prescribing exercises for people with spinal cord injury

Abstract

Introduction: SCI causes enormous damage to proper body functioning, which can lead to resistance to social participation in physical exercises, leading to a sedentary individual who, even though he is aware of his need, still does not seek practice for an active life. The Professional who gets involved with this client must be trained in order to avoid sequelae or the impediment of achieving the benefits of the practice of physical exercises, having knowledge about previously known dysfunctions such as spasticity, impaired thermoregulation and pressure ulcers. Objective: To identify the level of knowledge of Physical Education Professionals and students about exercise prescription for people with spinal cord injuries. Methods: Over the course of 2 months, a questionnaire was applied with questions about understanding the exercise prescription associated with physiological aspects (thermoregulation, bowel and bladder control, changes in the nervous system, etc.) that should be considered when one is working with a person who has a spinal cord injury. The subjects were 93 Physical Education Professionals who worked in fitness centers or clubs with amateur sports practices. The questionnaires were answered individually, taking place remotely, depending on the availability of the professional. The study was submitted to the Institutional Research Ethics Committee and started after its approval. Results: Most respondents attended inclusive or corresponding physical education during graduation, but only one participant (1.1%) stated that the acquired knowledge was sufficient to work with people with SCI. Regarding knowledge of manifestations related to SCI, it was observed that in 8 of the 11 approached, at least 40% of the participants did not know how to respond. In particular, changes in cardiac autonomic control, spasticity, pressure ulcers, boosting and changes in sweat production stand out, with more than 50% of ignorance about these conditions presented by people with SCI. Conclusion: The high percentage of lack of knowledge about SCI-related manifestations that can influence the choice of physical exercises for training prescription is worrying, and partly reflects questions pertaining to the academic training of physical education professionals.