title: The effects of a home-based arm ergometry exercise programme on physical fitness, fatigue and activity in Polio survivors: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  An assessor blinded randomised controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Home-based exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five Polio survivors randomised to exercise or control groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Home-based arm ergometry at an intensity of 50%-70% maximum heart rate, compared with usual physiotherapy care.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors.affiliation: 1 Physiotherapy Department, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: 2 University of Dublin Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hardiman
authors.affiliation: 1 Physiotherapy Department, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campion
authors.affiliation: 1 Physiotherapy Department, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vance
authors.affiliation: 3 School of Physiotherapy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Horgan
authors.affiliation: 3 School of Physiotherapy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meldrum
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001132:Arm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016552:Ergometry / Q000379:methods*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D011051:Poliomyelitis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Late effects of Polio; aerobic exercise; fatigue; home rehabilitation