• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.411-421
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• 2012

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of balance rehabilitation training with the visual cue deprivation on gait function in stroke patients in comparison with balance training without the visual cue deprivation. METHODS: Twenty two stroke patients participated in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the two balance training program with and without the visual cue deprivation. Balance training session for each group lasted 50 minutes, 3 times a week for a total of 6 weeks. Gait function was measured with the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), the self-selective comfortable gait speed (CGS), the maximal gait speed (MGS), and the Gait Analysis System. Temporal and spatial gait parameters of each evaluation were measured before and after the balance training program respectively. RESULTS: After the program, the visual cue deprivation group improved significantly in the FGA, the CGS, the gait velocity, the step time, the step length, the stride length, and the Functional Ambulation Performance (FAP) in comparison with the balance training group with the visual cue (p<.05). CONCLUSION: The gait function of the participants with the visual cue deprivation showed more improvement after the balance training program compared to the patients group without the visual cue deprivation, Therefore, the balance training program with the visual cue deprivation may be useful for rehabilitation of patients with chronic stroke.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.11
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• pp.369-372
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• 1997

Socket pressure distributions with gait analyses of a transfemoral and a transtibial prostheses were measured in order to assess an optimal socket fitting and unction. Ankle joint was aligned by the neutral and the dorsi/plantar flexed positions. Compared to dorsi and plantar flexed positions of ankle joint, cadence and walking speed increased with the neutral ankle joint alignment. Other gait parameters were close to the normative data with the neutral ankle joint alignment. For the transfemoral amputee, dorsiflexed alignment of the ankle joint created high pressure on the lateral aspect of the socket, on the other hand, plantarflexed alignment resulted in increased pressure on the medial aspect of the socket. For the transtibial amputee, dorsiflexed alignment of the ankle resulted in high pressure on the antero-lateral aspect of the socket during mid-stance, but plantarflexion of the ankle joint showed slight increases in pressure at the same location in the socket. The present study clearly demonstrated that malalignment of a prosthesis results in localized increasing pressure within the socket. Proper alignment of the prosthesis is required in order to acquire an appropriate socket-limb interface as well as the proper gait.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.199-206
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to verify effects of the team approach rehabilitation program on balance, gait, and muscle strength of lower extremities of elderly people with Parkinson's disease. Method: Subjects of this paper were 40 elderly people with Parkinson's disease, 20 control and experimental groups respectively, who could walk independently and were less than the 2.5 Hoehn &Yahr stage. The team approach rehabilitation program was applied to the experimental group for 12 weeks. Results: There was significant decrease in second at timed up &go test (p= .008), but no significant difference in reach length at functional reach test (p= .201) with partial improvement of balance. There was no significant difference in second at 10-meter walk test (p= .070), but showed tendency of improvement of gait. And number of times at 30s-chair stand test, indicating muscle strength on lower extremities, increased significantly (p= .029), Conclusion: The team approach rehabilitation program has demonstrated its effectiveness on improving balance, and muscle strength of lower extremities for the elderly with Parkinson's disease.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.59-64
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• 2017

Objective: Elderly people with dementia experience not only cognitive dysfunction but also motor function deficits, such as balance and gait impairments. Recently, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been used to reduce pain as well as to control muscle spasm, spasticity and motor performance in various types of subjects. The purpose of this study determined the effect of a single trial TENS on balance and gait function in elderly people with dementia. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twenty-two subjects with dementia were assigned to the TENS group (n=12) and ten subjects were assigned to the control group (n=10) randomly. Subjects were classified into two groups: the TENS group (n=12) and the placebo-TENS group (n=10). The TENS group had electrical stimulation applied on the calf muscle for 15 minutes, while the placebo-TENS group had not received real electrical stimulation. The timed up and go test (TUG) and functional reach test (FRT) were used to measure the balance function, and the 10 meters walk test (MWT) and 6MWT were used to assess gait ability. All tests were performed before and after intervention under a single-blinded condition. Results: After intervention, there were significant improvements in TUG, FRT, 10MWT, and 6MWT results in the TENS group (p<0.05), while the placebo-TENS group did not show significant changes in all outcome measurements. There were also differences in all tests between the two groups at post-measurements (p<0.05). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that a single trial TENS application on the calf may be used to improve balance and gait function in elderly people with dementia.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.133-144
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• 2023

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the effects of task-oriented treadmill training on the gait and balance ability and functional activity in 20 patients with subacute stroke. METHODS: The study subjects were twenty stroke patients, ten randomly placed in the experimental group and ten in the control group. Both the experimental and control groups received 30 minutes of traditional physical therapy and an additional 15 minutes of functional electrical stimulation therapy. The experimental group was given task-oriented treadmill training, while the control group received general treadmill training. Each session lasted for 25 minutes, three times a week, over four weeks, totaling 12 sessions. RESULTS: Both groups showed statistically significant differences in the 10-metre walk test (10MWT), timed up and go test (TUG), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), and Modified Barthel index (MBI). However, statistically significant differences in the Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) were seen only in the experimental group. There were statistically significant differences in the between-group differences value comparisons in the 10MWT, BBS, TUG, FMA, and MBI. CONCLUSION: Task-oriented treadmill training positively impacts gait, balance, and daily function in subacute stroke patients. This study highlights the benefits of training on unstable surfaces and offers valuable insights for stroke rehabilitation and gait training.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.39-46
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• 2002

In this study, vertical acceleration of center of mass was observed along normal gait phases in 9 healthy male volunteers (aged $25.7{\pm}2.18$). The developed wireless accelerometric device was attached on the intervertebral space between L3 and L4 using a semi-elastic waist belt. A three-dimensional motion analysis system, synchronized with the accelerometry, was used for detecting gait phases. There was no significant correlation between the body weight and the acceleration. The first peak curve covered loading response phase. The second downward peak point was matched accurately with the opposite toe-off. In mid-stance and terminal stance, the acceleration curve highly resembled the vertical ground reaction force curve. There was no significant difference in timing between the final upward peak point and the initial contact. Therefore, the developed accelerometry system would be helpful in determining determine temporal gait pattems in patients with gait disorders.

• Annals of Clinical Neurophysiology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.13-16
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• 2005

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the intensive functional electrical stimulation(FES) on the improvement of the gait pattern of the chronic hemiplegic patients. Method: Six hemiplegic patients, who could walk independently but have equinovarus deformity during the gait cycle, participated in this study. The affected peroneus longus and tibialis anterior muscles of all subjects were stimulated for 2 weeks period (20 minutes duration, 6 times/day). We measured the activities (mean voltage) of those muscles during the walking, using dynamic EMG. Results: After treatment, there were significant improvements in the strength of peroneus longus and tibialis anterior muscles and the gait speed, but there was no interval change of the spasticity of plantar flexor. The mean voltages of two muscles are significantly increased in all the patients (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that the intensive FES on affected peroneus longus and tibialis anterior muscles in chronic hemiplegic patients could be useful for the improvement of functional gait.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.257-262
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• 2021

Objective: Patients with stroke generally diminished ankle range of motion, which decreases balance and walking ability. This study aimed to determine the effect of ankle self-mobilization with movement (s-MWM) on ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion, timed up and go test, and dynamic gait index in patients with chronic stroke. Design: Randomized controlled trial design Methods: Twenty-four post-stroke patients participated in this study. The participants were randomized into the control (n = 12) and self-MWM groups (n = 12). Both groups attended standard rehabilitation therapy for 30 minutes per session. In addition, self-MWM group was performed 3 times per week for 8 weeks. All participants have measured ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion, timed up and go test, and dynamic gait index in before and after the intervention. Results: After 8 weeks of training, self-MWM group showed greater improvement in ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion, timed up and go test, and dynamic gait index than in the control group (p<0.05). Further, self-MWM group had significantly improvement in all dependent variables compared to the pre-test (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our investigation demonstrates that self-MWM is beneficial for improving functional ability. Also, self-MWM was superior to control with respect to improving ankle dorsiflexion passive range of motion, timed up and go test, and dynamic gait index.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.300-309
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• 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gastrocnemius neuromuscular electrical stimulation training on ankle mobility and gait in patients with stroke. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: 31 patients with stroke were selected and classified into an experimental group (n=16) and a control group (n=15). Both groups were assessed for ankle mobility using the Knee to Wall Test and gait parameters using G-walk before and after the intervention. The intervention was applied five times a week for four weeks. The experimental group performed gastrocnemius neuromuscular electrical stimulation followed by ankle control exercises, while the control group only applied NMES to the tibialis anterior muscle of the paretic side for 30 min per session five times a week for 4 weeks. Results: Experimental group showed significant improvements in Knee to wall test. and lumbar flexibility after the intervention. both group showed significant improvements in gait parameters after the intervention. However, when comparing between the two groups, the experimental group showed a more significant effect than the control group. Conclusions: Gastrocnemius neuromuscular electrical stimulation training can be considered an effective approach to improve ankle mobility and gait ability in patients with stroke.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 1997

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of pelvic and lower extremity exercise on the gait in 25 patients(11 men, 14 women) with hemiplegia. Their mean age was 65.2 years and the mean post-onset duration was 8.7 months. Each participant received a total of 15 sessions of PNF(five times per week), and each session lasted 40 minutes and consisted of 2 procedures(20 minutes each). The first procedure was pelvic anterior elevation and posterior depression pattern. And the second procedure was lower extremity flexion-adduction with knee flexion pattern. Results showed significant progressive improvement in gait speed and cadence after each 5 session period(5th, 10th, 15th session) compared with pre-treatment data(P<0.05). Furthermore improvements were noted in stride length.