Treatment for Walking of Patients after Stroke

Abstract

It is observed recently that typical Wernicke-Man's postures are decreasing. Most of patients have hypotonia in the affected pelvis, trunk and shoulder girdle nowadays. One of the main causes may be that cerebral infarctions increase much more than cerebral bleedings. Miyai et al.(1999) hypothesized that hypotonia was caused by the lesion of corticoreticulospinal pathway from the premotor cortex. Physical therapy should be administered to treat the sustained coactivation of torso and pelvic musculatures against the gravity of the affected side for stability in the stance phase, and to control the harmonious contraction of trunk and thoracic musculatures of both sides to regain the smooth swing phase of the affected leg. Desensitization of the affected feet are imperative in order to obtain physiological bases of support. © 2002, The Society of Physical Therapy Science. All rights reserved.