Researchers conducted a comprehensive search (Any-2014) of eleven databases to identify studies evaluating exercise interventions initiated within 12 weeks after SCI on muscle and bone loss in paralyzed limbs.
The results show consistent evidence of positive effects of early exercise on muscle, possibly related to load intensity of the protocol. However, the heterogeneity of interventions and outcomes makes this determination speculative. Evidence for the effectiveness of early exercise on bone is scant and confined to measures of trabecular bone mineral density via pQCT.