Article

Research has shown that motor training after stroke should be task-oriented. It
is still unknown whether the task-oriented approach is implemented into clinical
practice. The purpose of the present study was to survey to which extent
task-specific training was a part of conventional physiotherapy practice given to
stroke patients after discharge from hospital. This cross-sectional survey was a
sub-study of a randomized controlled trial. Physiotherapists treating patients
included in the trial were asked to register their choice of treatment according
to 11 predefined activity categories during the second week after discharge from
hospital. Nineteen physiotherapists treating 46 patients suffering from
mild-to-moderate stroke were included. The activities chosen in most patients
were sit-to-stand (60.9%), balance in standing position (65.2%), walking on even
ground (78.3%), and stair climbing (56.5%). Only two patients (4.3%) practiced
transfers or balance related to activities of daily living (ADL), such as washing, dressing, and toileting. This study shows that conventional
physiotherapy practice for a selected group of Norwegian stroke patients was
mainly based on a task-oriented approach, although with very little emphasis on
training in relation to ADL. Future research is needed to ensure that
evidence-based treatment is given to all stroke patients.

Langue : ANGLAIS