Effect of bilateral lower limb strengthening exercise on balance and walking in hemiparetic patients after stroke: a randomized controlled trial.
Hye Joo Jeon, Byong Yong Hwang
PMID 29545693WHAT IT FOUND
Timed up and go and 10 meter walk times did not show a between-group difference.
Bilateral lower limb strengthening plus passive range of motion improved balance more than unilateral paretic-side strengthening plus passive range of motion.
Key findings
01Bilateral lower limb strengthening plus passive range of motion produced greater improvement in functional reach and Berg balance than unilateral paretic-side strengthening plus passive range of motion.
02Timed up and go and 10 meter walk scores did not show a between-group difference.
03Both groups improved from baseline on functional reach, Berg balance, timed up and go, and 10 meter walk scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 20 patients, and the authors state that the finding may not be generalizable to all hemiparetic patients after stroke. All participants could walk independently for 20 m without an assistive device, were younger than 65 years, and were less than 24 months after stroke, so the results may not apply to more impaired or older patients. Both groups also received passive range of motion exercises, so the contribution of strengthening alone cannot be separated. No blinding or allocation concealment was reported in the supplied text. The primary outcomes included walking times, and the between-group comparison for those measures was null.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that bilateral strengthening alone improves walking speed more than unilateral strengthening. Both groups also received passive range of motion, and the contribution of strengthening alone cannot be separated. The timed up and go and 10 meter walk scores did not show a between-group difference.