The effect of chest expansion exercise with TENS on gait ability and trunk control in chronic stroke patients.
Sin-Jun Park, Kyun-Hee Cho, Soon-Hee Kim
PMID 29765183WHAT IT FOUND
Chest expansion with TENS plus general exercise therapy produced larger gait and trunk score gains than the control group in 14 chronic stroke patients.
The components cannot be separated.
Key findings
01The experimental group showed greater improvement than the control group on the Tinetti Gait Index and Trunk Impairment Scale total score.
02Both groups improved on the six-minute walk test, Tinetti Gait Index, and Trunk Impairment Scale total score, but only the experimental group improved dynamic sitting balance and coordination.
03The experimental intervention combined general exercise therapy, chest expansion exercise, and TENS, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 14 participants were studied, with 7 in each group. The paper does not state how participants were assigned to groups or whether assessors were blinded. The control condition is not clearly described, so it is unclear what the experimental group received beyond the control condition. All participants had to be able to walk 20 m independently and stand for 30 seconds or more, so findings may not apply to more severely impaired stroke patients. The experimental intervention combined general exercise therapy, chest expansion exercise, and TENS, so the effect of any single component cannot be separated. Outcome assessment was done by the therapist or by simple time and distance measures, which can introduce measurement bias. The paper does not state a primary outcome.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. The paper does not state who funded the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that TENS alone improved gait or trunk control. The paper describes general exercise therapy, chest expansion exercise, and TENS, and it does not clearly isolate the control condition or separate the components.