The effect of fluidotherapy on hand dexterity and activities of daily living in patients with edema on stroke.
Sang Woo Han, Mi-Sun Lee
PMID 29643600WHAT IT FOUND
Three weeks of fluidotherapy significantly reduced hand edema in stroke patients and improved daily living independence, but did not significantly improve hand dexterity.
The study had no control group, so natural recovery cannot be ruled out.
Key findings
01Edema volume decreased significantly from 600.53 ml to 533.53 ml after three weeks of treatment.
02Activities of daily living scores improved significantly, moving the group average from needing maximal assistance to partial assistance.
03Hand dexterity showed a slight numerical increase in blocks transferred per minute, but this change was not statistically significant.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study had no control group, so improvements cannot be distinguished from natural recovery or other concurrent therapies. The sample size was small (30 patients). Various evaluation tools related to hand function were not used. Participants were not randomized, and blinding was not described.
The easy way to misread this
Do not attribute the reduction in edema and improvement in daily living solely to fluidotherapy. Because there was no control group, these changes could reflect natural recovery or other factors, and the study design cannot prove the treatment caused them.