Effectiveness of Treadmill Training Intervention for the Management of Patients With Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Chenyi Shi, Yuxi Xiao, Dawei Zang and 1 others
PMID 40344634WHAT IT FOUND
Treadmill training interventions improved walking speed and endurance in stroke survivors overall, but not in those needing assistance at baseline.
Body weight-supported training showed gains in some groups, though limitations reduce certainty.
Key findings
01Treadmill training interventions improved walking speed across 57 studies with 2895 participants.
02Treadmill training interventions improved walking endurance across 38 studies with 2291 participants.
03For walking speed and endurance, participants independent at baseline improved, while dependent participants showed no significant improvement.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The included trials varied widely in stroke phase, baseline walking ability, treadmill protocols, body weight support, and control conditions, so the pooled result may not apply to every patient or clinic. Heterogeneity was moderate to high, meaning the study results varied substantially. Egger's test and funnel plots suggested publication bias for both outcomes, so positive findings may be overstated. Some included trials combined treadmill training with other treatments, so the review cannot isolate the effect of treadmill training alone from every added component.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest; the ethics statement reports nothing to declare.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude treadmill training works for every stroke survivor. The dependent subgroup showed no significant improvement for walking speed or endurance, and publication bias means the overall positive results may be overstated.