The effects of balance training on rehabilitation of acute and subacute stroke patients

Abstract

Purpose: Aim of this study is to evaluate effects of balance education with Balance Trainer, according to clinical and laboratory measurements for locomotor performance and daily life acitivities when added to traditional rehabilitation program in stroke patients. Materials and methods: This randomised controlled study included 30 stroke patients who hospitalized in our clinic between dates of January 2011-May 2012. At least six month after stroke were excluded from the study. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups, the control group and trained group. All patients evaluated with Brunnstrom stages of motor recovery, spasticity with modified Ashworth scale, sense of touch, sense of joint position, cerebellar findings, neglect phenomen with star erasing test, ambulation with Functional Ambulation Scale (FAS) and daily life activities with Functional Independence Measurement (FIM). Their balance was assessed clinically with Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Trunk Control Test (TCT) and Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale (FMAS). Visual feedback balance training with the Balance Trainer was used in the trained group. Balance training consisted of a 15 minute training session three times a week for a 6 week period. The control group were exercized only conventional physical therapy. Data of patients in the trained group (1st group) and control group (2nd group) were collected before training and after completing the training program. Results: In our study after the rehabilitation period, Berg Balance Scale and Trunk Control Test values in both groups improved significantly. In addition, FIM and FAS values were significantly higher in both groups. Compared top ast-treatment changes at BBS, TCT and FAS values were not different between the groups. It was found that both conventional stroke rehabilitation and additional balance training with Balance Trainer showed improvement in the parameters (balance and activities of daily living (ADL) However, they do not have a statistically significant advantage over each other. Conclusion: We observed that both conventional stroke rehabilitation and Balance Trainer exercise program provides improvement in clinical parameters of balance but there was no statistically significiant difference between each other. In our study; It has also been found that balance is better in patients with high lower extremity Brunnstrom motor staging.