Study on the effectiveness and safety of balance instrument training on balance and lower limb motor function in patients with ischemic stroke hemiplegia.

The study was conducted at a single center with a relatively small sample size (n=60), which may limit generalizability. Participants and treating therapists were not blinded due to the nature of the intervention, which could introduce performance bias. The inclusion criteria required patients to have standing balance level 1 or higher and MRC grade ≥3, so results may not apply to more severely impaired stroke patients. There was no long-term follow-up to determine if the benefits were sustained after the 6-week intervention. Multiple outcome variables were tested without statistical correction for multiple comparisons.

The study was funded by the Ningbo Public Welfare Research Project (Grant number 2025S197) and the Ningbo Science & Technology Bureau. The authors declared financial support was received for this work.

Do not assume the Pro-Kin system is superior to all other forms of balance training or suitable for all stroke patients. The study compared it only to a specific routine rehabilitation protocol in patients with mild-to-moderate impairment who could already stand with assistance, and the lack of blinding for therapists and participants means some of the benefit could be due to increased attention or motivation rather than the technology itself.