Augmented reality-supported exercise therapy system improves physical frailty and musculoskeletal pain: a preliminary feasibility study - Abstract
Objectives: Although the usefulness of exercise therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain has been established, there are many challenges in introducing and continuing the therapy. We have developed a system that allows patients to exercise using instructional polygons so that they can exercise at home. In this study, we investigated the effect of exercise instruction using this system.
Methods: Consent was obtained from 14 patients (age 72.4±11.6, man/woman 7/7) with musculoskeletal chronic pain. The subjects used this system in our outpatient clinic once a week (for a total of 10 times), and exercised at an activity level of about 3METs for 30 minutes. They were also instructed to perform the same exercise at home six days a week without the system. Each clinical data was tested before and after treatment using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test.
Results: All 14 patients have completed the exercise. Their walking speed improved significantly after using Kinect. (P = 0.019). We acknowledged the increase in muscle strength in hip, knee and ankle MMT. Good effects in lower limb functions such as lower limb pain (P = 0.035) and going out by train or bus (P = 0.037) were confirmed in each item of Locomo 25.
Conclusions: Exercise therapy with our system improved walking speed that affects life prognosis. It can be presumed that strengthening of lower limb function is related to the factor.