Evidence mapPaperPMID 41810770Full record

Trial reportClinical rehabilitation2026

The effect of breathing exercises and mindset with or without cold exposure on mental and physical health in persons with a spinal cord injury-Results of a randomized controlled trial.

Sonja de Groot, Frank Wl Ettema, Max van der Bijll, Thomas Wj Janssen, Wendy J Achterberg-Warmer, WHM study group, Sven P Hoekstra

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Clinical rehabilitation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Sonja de GrootCenter of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht and De Hoogstraat Rehabilitation, Utrecht, the Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-8463-2563
Frank Wl EttemaReade Center for Rehabilitation & Rheumatology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Max van der BijllReade Center for Rehabilitation & Rheumatology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Thomas Wj JanssenDepartment of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, The Netherlands.
Wendy J Achterberg-WarmerReade Center for Rehabilitation & Rheumatology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
WHM study group
Sven P HoekstraDepartment of Exercise and Sport Science, St Mary's University, San Antonio, TX, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

ObjectiveTo examine the effects of the Wim Hof Method (WHM), with cold exposure (WHM-C) and without (WHM-NC), on mental and physical health in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI).DesignRandomized-controlled trial.SettingRehabilitation center.ParticipantsSixty-two adults with chronic SCI (37% tetraplegia, 41% motor complete) were randomized into three groups: WHM-C, WHM-NC, and usual care (UC).InterventionThe intervention groups participated in a 7-week program involving weekly supervised sessions and daily home practice. WHM-NC included breathing exercises and mindset training, while WHM-C also incorporated cold exposure. UC participants received no intervention.Main measuresThe primary outcome was the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) score. Secondary outcomes included inflammatory and metabolic markers, pulmonary function, body composition, sleep quality, spasticity, chronic pain, and psychological stress.ResultsWHM-NC had eight dropouts, mostly due to motivation or unrelated medical issues, while WHM-C and UC had one dropout each. No significant differences in MHI-5 scores were observed between groups. However, WHM-C participants reported reduced pain interference in daily activities compared to UC (p=0.027). WHM-C also showed improvements in inspiratory parameters FIV1 (+27%, p=0.02) and PIF (+23%, p=0.02) and a significant reduction in fasting glucose concentration (-6%, p=0.006) compared to UC.ConclusionsWhile 44% of WHM-NC dropped out, WHM-C appears to be a feasible, effective intervention for improving aspects of physical health and pain perception in a broad group of individuals with chronic SCI, although no significant mental health benefits were observed.

Indexed as

Breathing ExercisesCold TemperatureSpinal Cord InjuriesAdultFemaleHealth StatusHumansMaleMental HealthMiddle AgedTreatment OutcomeBreathing Exercises* / methodsCold Temperature*Health StatusMental HealthSpinal Cord Injuries* / complicationsSpinal Cord Injuries* / rehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID41810770
PMCPMC13428070

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.