Abstract

Introduction: spinal cord injury (SCI) is a condition that affects thousands of people worldwide, and among its most common complications are respiratory issues. The aim of this study is to determine if there is evidence in the published literature on the effectiveness of inspiratory muscle training in these patients. Material and method: a literature search was carried out in the Pubmed, PEDro and Cochrane databases, using the descriptors "inspiratory muscle training" and "spinal cord injury". The following inclusion criteria are established: 1. Randomized clinical trials, controlled studies and single group assignment; 2. Participants with spinal cord injury; 3. Studies that evaluate the effectiveness of inspiratory muscle training; 4. Studies published in the last 5 years; 5. Studies written in English or Spanish. The exclusion criteria was: Studies with less than 10 participants. The methodological quality of the included articles was evaluated with the PEDro scale. Results: three articles were included in the review which show improvements in maximum inspiratory pressure, maximum expiratory pressure, dyspnea sensation, physical fitness, maximum oxygen consumption and respiratory symptoms, among others. Conclusion: there are indications about the benefits of inspiratory muscle training in patients with spinal cord injury.