Effect of Body Weight Support Treadmill Training on Gait Recovery, Lower Limb Function and Dynamic Balance in Patients with Chronic Stroke: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Abstract

Introduction: Stroke is an omnipresent health problem that causes impairments in multiple domains and often leads to serious long-lasting consequences like pathological gait patterns. Gait rehabilitation is an important criterion for improvement in functionality. Body Weight Supported Treadmill Training (BWSTT) is being used as a method of gait rehabilitation, but efficiency of this method beyond traditional training is lacking evidence. Aim: To evaluate the effect of body weight supported treadmill training on gait recovery, lower limb function and dynamic balance in chronic stroke patients. Materials and Methods: A randomised controlled trial conducted in the Department of Neurorehabilitation of a specialty hospital, on 30 ambulatory chronic stroke patients having post stroke duration of six months or more. Study subjects were randomised into two groups. Group A received BWSTT with conventional rehabilitation for four weeks. Group B received only conventional rehabilitation for four weeks. Duration of conventional rehabilitation was 40 minutes in each group. Along with that group A received 20 minutes BWSTT and group B received 20 minutes of conventional gait training. Therapy was given three days a week. Assessment tools were Timed Up and Go test (TUG), Cadence, 10 metre Walk Test and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). The paired t-test was used for intragroup analysis and the unpaired t-test was used for intergroup analysis. Results: Total of 30 patients were registered in the study with mean age (years) 52.07±3.6736 and 52.40±3.906 for group A and group B, respectively. There was significant improvement in all outcome measures, e.g., BBS, TUG, 10 metre walk test and Cadence, in both the groups, pre and post intervention, but group A showed statistically significant improvement in parameters like dynamic balance, walking speed, and postural control and walking function (p<0.05). Conclusion: The BWSTT offers improvement in gait, in terms of walking speed, dynamic balance, posture control, that is significantly more than that of conventional gait training, as found in this study. The BWSTT might be included as a part of stroke rehabilitation program. Further multicentre studies with larger samples can throw more light on the intensity, dosage and methods of using BWSTT.