Aerobic Exercise Prescription in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Web-Based Survey of US Physical Therapists.
Pierce Boyne, Sandra Billinger, Marilyn MacKay-Lyons and 3 others
PMID 28263254WHAT IT FOUND
87.8% of responding US physical therapists endorsed aerobic exercise after stroke, but 72.1% could not prescribe it for every indicated patient, and 83.8% reported barriers.
Key findings
0187.8% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that aerobic exercise should be incorporated into treatment programs for individuals with stroke, but 72.1% reported being able to prescribe it for every individual with stroke for whom it was indicated.
02Aerobic exercise was prescribed for at least some individuals with stroke by 66.7% of acute care therapists and 93.1% of therapists in other settings.
0398.0% of respondents reported no access to exercise ECG equipment for their patients with stroke, and only 38.7% were confident about all aspects of aerobic exercise prescription.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The overall response rate was 3.7%, so many invited therapists did not answer and the results may not reflect all US PTs. Therapists with 0-10 years of licensure were under-represented, although sensitivity analyses varied by less than 6%. Answers were self-reported and may have been influenced by response bias or the desire to appear guideline-consistent. The survey describes prescribing practices and perceived barriers; it does not test whether aerobic exercise, stress testing, or higher intensity improves patient outcomes.
Declared interests
The supplied metadata lists NIH extramural research support. No author conflict-of-interest declaration appears in the text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the low reported use of stress testing and light intensity as evidence that aerobic exercise after stroke is unsafe or ineffective. This is a self-report survey of therapist practices with a 3.7% response rate, not a trial of aerobic exercise or stress testing.