Comparison of the Effect of Six Weeks Virtual Reality-Based Rehabilitation Exercise and Reflexology on Fatigue Rate of Paralyzed Veterans

Introduction: One of the consequences of life in today's society is the high prevalence of spinal cord injury, which happens for several reasons. Decreased mobility in these people causes premature fatigue and reduces their quality of life, which leads to diseases. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of virtual reality-based rehabilitation exercises and reflexology in reducing the fatigue rate of paraplegic veterans. Methodology: This quasi-experimental study was carried out on paraplegia veterans in Tehran province. Forty-five active paraplegia veterans with spinal cord injury and mean age of 54.29±4.55 with a history of regular exercise of at least two years were randomly classified into three groups: virtual reality, reflexology, and control. The mean score of fatigue in the subjects was 45.86±13.57, which was obtained after a pre-test using the fatigue severity scale questionnaire. Exercise programs were performed for three sessions per week for 30 minutes every other day in six weeks. A post-test was performed after the training sessions. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23 software at a significance level of 0.05. Findings: Findings showed that virtual reality exercises and reflexology had a significant effect on fatigue in paraplegia veterans. A significant difference was observed between both experimental and control groups after the intervention. The reduction of fatigue was also significant in the massage group. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it is suggested to use virtual reality-based rehabilitation exercises and reflexology to reduce the fatigue of paraplegia veterans.