Effects of phase proprioceptive training on balance in patients with chronic stroke.

Only 30 participants were studied, with 15 in each group, so the findings may not be stable. The paper does not say how participants were placed into groups, nor whether therapists or assessors were blinded, so selection and measurement bias are possible. The control group received Bobath treatment, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, range of motion, stretching, strengthening, gait training, cycling, and other general physical therapy together, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. The phase proprioceptive training included several stages and tasks, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. The paper does not state how long or how often the phase proprioceptive training was delivered, so replication is difficult. No follow-up after post-training measurement is reported, so it is unclear whether gains lasted. The paper does not report dropouts or missing data. Participants had to be at least 6 months after stroke and have an MMSE-K score of 24 or greater, so results may not apply to acute stroke or people who could not follow directions. Most participants were men, with 13 of 15 in the training group and 12 of 15 in the control group, so the sample may not represent women.

The paper does not report funding sources or conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that phase proprioceptive training is proven superior to standard stroke therapy. The trial was small, group assignment and blinding were not described, the control group received many therapies together, and no follow-up was reported.