Effects of non-paretic arm movements during bridge exercises on trunk muscle activity in stroke patients.
Dong-Yun Bae, Soo-Yong Kim, So-Ra Park and 1 others
PMID 31036997WHAT IT FOUND
Adding non-paretic arm flexion or horizontal abduction to bridge exercises increased internal oblique and erector spinae activity in 18 stroke patients, especially on the paretic side.
Rectus abdominis activity did not increase.
Key findings
01Bridge exercises with non-paretic arm flexion or horizontal abduction produced significantly greater internal oblique and erector spinae activation than the standard bridge.
02Internal oblique and erector spinae activation was significantly greater on the paretic side than on the non-paretic side.
03Rectus abdominis activation showed no significant difference for exercise type or side.
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 18 participants. All participants were at least 6 months after stroke and had Korean-Modified Barthel Index scores of 70 or higher, so it may not apply to more dependent patients. The study measured muscle activation, not trunk movement, balance, or function. There was no long-term follow-up, so long-term effects were not shown. The paper did not describe randomisation or blinding of condition order.
Declared interests
Funded by a 2016 research grant from Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these bridge variations improve stroke recovery. The study measured only immediate muscle activation during the exercises, and rectus abdominis activity did not increase.