Walking skills recovery for patients suffered a stroke

Abstract

Recovering the walking ability is one of the major goals in rehabilitation of poststroke patients. Locomotor training should be preceded by identifying pathological gait characteristics and functional gait assessment. The spectrum of rehabilitation methods for restoration of walking skills is quite wide and includes conventional training, training on a treadmill without body weight support and with body weight support, using of electromechanical and robotic devices, additional use of biofeedback, virtual reality, orthoses, electrical muscle stimulation, strength training and balance training. The review provides a brief description of these rehabilitation methods in view of evidence-based medicine. The individual choice of procedures depends on the severity, duration and characteristics of walking defiits, the patient’s preferences and limitations associated with his concomitant diseases.