In today's society spinal cord injury is one of the most important causes of disability worldwide and nationally. This is defined as any damage to the spinal cord resulting in a temporary or permanent change in motor function, sensory and / or autonomic response. This injury is classified by etiology and localization, which determines paraplegia or quadriplegia.

People with spinal cord injury have alterations in mobility and / or sensitivity; cardiovascular and respiratory complications; pressure ulcers and loss of bone mineral density, among others, as well as psychologically and emotionally affected; it is because of these changes that develop new needs for patients, their environment and health systems

This project seeks to implement an innovative treatment using functional electrostimulation (FES), which is the application of an electrical current in to the muscle to cause a contraction that creates a function.

Internationally has been studied and used this technology since 1991 in Cleveland, USA, exist a FES center which has a mission, improve the quality of life for people with neurological and / or musculoskeletal through the use of functional electrical stimulation, allowing the transference of this technology to clinical application.With FES therapy, people with SCI can perform a cardiovascular work in cycle ergometer for upper and lower extremities, work in rowing, get up from the wheelchair and finally walk.

Quality of life is a central theme in life of every individual and is related to daily activities [5]. To achieve these, it requires specific energy consumption obtained in most cases by aerobic type reactions. The amount of energy depends on several factors, some related to the environment and others to the individual, such as basal metabolism and the degree of muscle activity.

An injury to the spinal cord leads to a significant reduction in active muscle, this causes decreasing oxygen consumption (VO2) of paralyzed muscles during exercise. VO2 is the amount of oxygen required for the development of cellular metabolism, during exercise increases linearly with the workload to achieve maximum aerobic capacity, which represents the maximum amount of oxygen that the body can absorb, transport and expend per unit of time. People with SCI can only achieve high VO2 values using intensively upper extremity (causing shoulder lesions) or increase muscle mass active during exercise using FES [3].

Studies suggest that health benefits related to exercise, such as circulation increased , muscular hypertrophy, improve venous return, can only be obtained with physical

activity programs that including intensities of 21 ml / kg / min of VO2 [3] , values that could only be obtained using functional electrostimulation in our patients.

In addition to the direct physical benefits that this brings, the positive influence in individuals with spinal cord injury that leads the realization of regular exercise in physical, mental and social participation is highly proven, since an increase in oxygen consumption, indicates better physical capacity , which leads to a greater level of functionality; it is therefore an indirect index of social participation, which influences the individual's personal perception of their life situation, independence and the ability to maintain an overall level of functioning that can achieve their personal goals and improve their quality of life related to health.

The objective of this project is improving cardiovascular capacity of our patients with spinal cord injury and the specific objectives are aimed improving functionality, muscle strength and quality of life. This goal is achieved by improving the aerobic capacity with specific training; FES restore function and this allow the patient to perform activities of daily living.

The training program is divided into levels based on the individual characteristics of each patient. These were developed according to the current evidence related to the achievement of goals individually.

Exercise programs are divided into four steps:1.Basic Program (Strengthening lower limbs).2. Basic Program (Strengthening upper extremities).3. Intermediate Program (cycle ergometer) 4. Advanced Program (Rowing).

Bibliografía1. Nacional SCI Statistical Center, Birmingham, Alabama. 20122. ENDISC I, Primer Estudio Nacional de la Discapacidad en Chile, 2004.3. Nighat N. Kahn; Susan P. Feldman, William A. Bauman. Lower-Extremity FunctionalElectrical Stimulation Decreases Platelet Aggregation and Blood Coagulation in PersonsWith Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study. J Spinal Cord Med. Apr 2010;33(2):150–158.4. Dries M. Hettinga; Brian J. Andrews. Oxygen Consumption during Functional ElectricalStimulation-Assisted Exercise in Persons with Spinal Cord Injury: Implications forFitness and Health; Sports Med 2008, 38 (10): 825-838.5. Manns PJ, Chad KE. Determining the relation between quality of life, handicap, fitness,and physical activity for persons with spinal cord injury. Arch Phys Med Rehabil.1999;80:1566-71.6. Orientaciones para el Desarrollo de la Red de Rehabilitación Física en losestablecimientos de salud, MINSAL, 2011.7. IFESS, Sociedad Internacional Estimulación eléctrica Funcional.: http://ifess.org/