• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.205-210
• /
• 2018

Purpose: This study was to examine the effects of treadmill gait training at different controlled inclinations on the standing balance of hemiplegic patients caused by cerebrovascular injury. Methods: The study's subjects were 44 patients with chronic stroke, randomly divided into three experimental groups: $0^{\circ}$ treadmill gait training (n=14), $5^{\circ}$ treadmill gait training (n=15), and $10^{\circ}$ treadmill gait training (n=15). In addition to conventional physical therapy, the subjects underwent gait training on a treadmill with one of three different inclinations for 30 min per session five times per week for six weeks. The Biodex balance system SD, Berg balance scale, and timed up and go tests were used to measure the postural balance of the patients. Results: This study showed that gait training on a treadmill at controlled inclinations of $0^{\circ}$, $5^{\circ}$, and $10^{\circ}$ positively influenced the stroke patients' standing balance. The $5^{\circ}$ and $10^{\circ}$ inclination gait training groups showed significantly more improvement than the $0^{\circ}$ inclination group. Conclusion: Gait training on a treadmill with inclinations of $0^{\circ}$, $5^{\circ}$, or $10^{\circ}$ can be said to positively affect the postural balance of hemiplegic patients due to stroke. In particular, $5^{\circ}$ and $10^{\circ}$ inclination gait training offered more significant improvement than the $0^{\circ}$ inclination gait training group. When added to regular treatment routines, gait training at controlled inclinations is an effective intervention for improving hemiplegia due to postural balance.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.47-52
• /
• 2009

Purpose: To examine the correlation between the gait speed and muscle activation or foot pressure in stroke patients. Methods: Twenty five functionally ambulant stroke patients (male/female: 15/10, mean age: $57.65\pm2.30$) were enrolled in this study. The patients were asked to walk on a plate at a self-selected and comfortable speed. Three walking trials were obtained and then averaged for data analysis. The gait speed and foot pressure were measured from a RS-Scan system. Activation of the quadriceps femoris muscle and biceps hamstring muscle (%RVC) were recorded using ProComp $Infiniti^{TM}$. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between Hamstring muscle activation (%RVC) and gait speed. The gait speed correlated with the foot pressure of the lateral metatarsal zone (M3-5) in the affected side. There was a correlation between the gait speed and the foot pressure of the lateral metatarsal (M3-5) and heel (medial, lateral) zone in the less-affected side. Conclusion: The gait speed is related to hamstring muscle activation and the characteristics of foot pressure. This information was observed in both the affected and less-affected sides, suggesting that rehabilitation programs should be implemented on both sides.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
• /
• v.1998 no.11
• /
• pp.84-85
• /
• 1998

This study was conducted to characterize the gait of a person climbing or descending the stairs. Using our motion analysis system (Vicon 370), gait patterns of ten healthy females (18.8 - 19.6 yrs. old) were measured 1) when a subject tip-toed the stairs, 2) when a subject climbs the stairs with the whole foot, and 3) when a subject went down the stair, respectively. The results of each cases were compared with the data for the level walking collected from 21 healthy females in the previous studies. The stairway gait data can be used as a useful reference in the design of artificial limbs for the lower-limb amputee.

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

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.93-101
• /
• 2022

PURPOSE: This study sought to investigate the effects of treadmill gait training combined with a thoracic mobility exercise on gait and balance in patients with stroke. METHODS: In this single-blinded, randomized, controlled, comparative study, a total of 20 patients at a rehabilitation hospital who had suffered a hemiplegic stroke were randomly assigned to the experimental group (treadmill gait training combined with a thoracic mobility exercise, n = 11) or control group (treadmill gait training without the thoracic mobility exercise, n = 9). All the participants underwent comprehensive rehabilitation therapy (5 × /week for 4 weeks). Additionally, the experimental group underwent 20 min of treadmill gait training combined with 10 min of a thoracic mobility exercise (3 × / week for 4 weeks) and the control group underwent the former but not the latter. Gait and balance were measured before and after the 4-week training. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in the 10-m walking test (10 MWT), timed up-and-go (TUG) test, center of pressure (COP) velocity, and COP length in the experimental group (p < .05). This group also showed a larger decrease in the 10 MWT and COP velocity than the control group (10 MWT, -3.02 sec vs. -1.68 sec, p < .05; COP velocity, -.07 mm/sec vs. .08 mm/sec, p < .05). CONCLUSION: Treadmill gait training, combined with the thoracic mobility exercise, could be effective in improving the gait and balance of stroke patients. It could also be more effective in improving walking speed and static balance than the treadmill gait training alone.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
• /
• v.32 no.10
• /
• pp.879-883
• /
• 2015

Conventional gait rehabilitation requires at least three therapists in a traditional rehabilitation training program. Several robots have been developed to reduce human burden and increase rehabilitation efficacy. In this study, we present a lower-limb wearable robot (WA-H) for gait rehabilitation of hemiplegia patients, and propose a protocol of 12 weeks gait rehabilitation training program using WA-H. To identify the efficacy of the robot and protocols, we conducted a clinical study with two actual hemiplegia patients and observed a chronological change of ambulation ability through four assessments. We discovered the progression of results by 6 minute walking test, TUGT (Timed Up and Go Test), SPPB (Short Physical Performance Battery), BBS (Berg Balance Test), and Fugl-Meyer score. The torques generated in the normal side and paralyzed side of the patient became similar, indicating rehabilitation. The result also showed the walking of the paralysis patient improved and imbalance motion had considerable improved performance.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.81-86
• /
• 2013

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility and effects of balance training using a newly developed elastic band orthosis (aider) for improvement of mobility and balance in chronic stroke patients. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Ten patients with chronic hemiplegia participated in this study. There were six males and four females; two patients had right hemiplegia and eight had left hemiplegia. This study investigated the effect of the elastic band orthosis on balance and gait ability compared with bare foot condition. Gait parameters were measured using the opto-gait system for analysis of the spatial and temporal parameters of walking in stroke patients. In addition, balance ability in stroke patients was evaluated using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Results: This study investigated the effect of the elastic band orthosis on balance compared with bare foot condition. The TUG and BBS showed significant improvement with use of the elastic band orthosis (p<0.05). Use of the Elastic band orthosis resulted in significantly improved velocity, cadence, less-affected step length, less-affected stride length, and less-affected single limb support in stroke patients (p<0.05). Conclusions: We demonstrated a significant improvement in dynamic balance and gait ability in chronic stroke patients using the elastic band orthosis. This orthosis may aid in prevention of spastic foot drop, leading to improvement of walking ability.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.161-171
• /
• 2007

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of footwear on gait in older adults. Methods : The footwear consists of loafer with fixation and mule and slipper without fixation. Twenty one female older adults voluntarily participated in this study. Each participant walked on the gait system GAITRite and measured temporal-spatial gait parameters. And the participants wore loafer, mule, slipper randomly. We measured stance time, swing time, heel-to-heel BOS, double support time, velocity, cadence, FAP as temporal-spatial gait parameters. Results : Three gait parameters showed significant difference statistically among 7 gait parameters. The stance time increased as loafer, mule, barefoot, slipper orderly. And there was a significant difference statistically (p<.05). The swing time increased as slipper, barefoot, mule, loafer orderly. And there was a significant difference statistically(p<.05). And the heel-to-heel BOS increased as barefoot, loafer, mule, slipper orderly. And there was a significant difference statistically(p<.05) according to footwear type. Conclusion : The footwear type with high stability like loafer is considered better than footwear type with low stability like mule and slipper for the elderly.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.105-112
• /
• 2022

Objective: Nonspecific low back pain (NS-LBP) causes pain and disability, affecting the neuromuscular system and altering gait patterns. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of improvement of low back pain symptoms through physical therapy on foot pressure and spatiotemporal gait parameters. Design: A pilot study. Methods: Participants received manual therapy and supervised therapeutic exercise, which consisted of 12 sessions for 6 weeks. Participants were assessed for pain intensity (a numeric pain rating scale), disability index (oswestry disability index), and spatiotemporal gait parameters before and after intervention. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze the before-and-after differences in a single group. Results: All seven NS-LBP patients completed the study without dropout. After six weeks of physical therapy, the numeric pain rating scale and oswestry disability index showed significant improvement (Z= -2.388, P=0.017). There was no significant improvement in both static and dynamic conditions in foot pressure (P>0.05). However, in the spatiotemporal gait parameters, there were significant differences in all variables except the right stance phase and left mid stance (P<0.05). Conclusions: In our pilot study, 12 sessions of physical therapy in NS-LBP patients improved gait quilty in spatiotemporal gait parameters. Similarly, it has resulted in clinically positive improvements in pain and disability.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.23-30
• /
• 2012

In this study, we developed a wireless rehabilitation auditory feedback gait training system for symmetrical weight-bearing in patient with CVA. The device consists of an instantaneous shoe equipped with two load-cell sensors. Auditory feedback can be applied according to the weight-bearing. For gait patterns analysis, cadence, walking velocity, stance/swing phase ratio and gait cycle were examined. The clinical test with six healthy volunteers and two hemiplegic patients was performed applying the auditory feedback system. Both normal subjects and hemiplegic patients were increased strength on weight-bearing in affected limb, walking velocity, and cadence after biofeedback device. Also, the stance time with weight-bearing was increased while the swing time was decreased in gait phase. It can be expected that by using the feedback system, the patient with lower limb disorder will be able to reach a better quality of weight-bearing during gait.