Functional status of hemiparetic subjects submitted to group physical therapy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a group therapy program on gait, body balance and risk of falling, and to search for a correlation between functional gait and balance in subjects with chronic hemiparesis. A total of 21 hemiparetic adults, mean aged 58.9±10.6 years, with sequelae (at least 1 year after stroke) of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, underwent a program of one-hour group therapy twice a week, for six months. They were assessed using the Berg balance scale (BBS) and the timed up-and-go test (TUGT) at baseline, after 13 weeks, and at the end of six months. Results show a progressive, though non-significant, reduction in TUGT times, and an also non-significant increase in BBS scores. A strong correlation (r=0.7, p<0.05) was found between the two scales. The therapy was then not effective in providing improvement in subjects' gait or balance, but allowed for maintaining them.