Article

The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of balance training in a balance
trainer, a newly developed mechanical device for training balance, with
conventional balance training in subacute stroke patients. This was a randomized
controlled study. Fifty participants met the inclusion criteria and 39 finished
the study. The participants were randomly divided into control and balance
trainer groups. The first had conventional balance training while the second
trained balance in the balance trainer. All the participants trained balance 20
min per day, 5 days per week for 4 weeks and had additional 25 min of
physiotherapy. Balance was assessed by the Berg Balance Scale, one-leg standing,
Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test and 10 m walk. There was significant improvement in
Berg Balance Scale (P<0.001), TUG (P<0.001) and 10 m walk (P=0.001) in both the
groups, whereas no differences were found in any of these measures between the
two groups either regarding overall average level or regarding average
improvement. Both the groups improved significantly in standing on the healthy
(P=0.001) as well as the impaired lower limb (P=0.005), whereby no significant
differences were observed between the groups. Within both groups, significantly
fewer subjects needed assistance of a physiotherapist for the 10 m walk and the
TUG test at the end than at the beginning of the study (P=0.016). It can be
concluded that both conventional balance training and training balance in the
balance trainer equally improved balance in subacute stroke patients. The balance
trainer cannot replace a physiotherapist but it is a safe and efficient
supplementary method.

Langue : ANGLAIS