Home-based rehabilitation programs on postural balance, walking, and quality of life in patients with stroke

Abstract

Background The most challenging aspect of rehabilitation is the high costs of in-patient rehabilitation programs and poor continuity of care while patients are transferred to home. In this regard, numerous home-based rehabilitation programs have been developed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of home-based rehabilitative programs on postural balance, walking, and quality of life in individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke. Design A CONSORT-compliant randomized controlled trial. Methods Seventeen community-dwelling people diagnosed with a first stroke participated in this study. They randomly divided the home-based rehabilitative program (HBP) group (n = 9) and control group (n = 8). The HBP group received coordination exercises at home and the control group received clinic-based exercises. This study measured postural balance, walking, and quality of life using four outcome measures: 10-meter walk test, figure of 8 walk test, four-square step test, and 36 item short-form survey. Results After analysis, it was found that the HBP improved postural balance, comfortable speed, and fast speed walking, and straight and curved walking for chronic stroke. Second, clinic-based rehabilitation services improved postural balance, comfortable speed, and fast speed walking abilities in patients with chronic stroke. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that the HBP group received positive benefits with regard to the postural balance and walking abilities of chronic hemiparetic stroke patients compared to the clinical setting exercise program.

A rehabilitative approach beyond the acute stroke event: a scoping review about functional recovery perspectives in the chronic hemiplegic patient

“…After 6 weeks there were significant improvements in spasticity, static balance parameters, dynamic balance, gait speed and cadence, step and stride length on the paretic side ( 45 ). Lim et al investigated the effects of a home- based rehabilitation program on postural balance, walking and quality of life with ameliorations in postural balance, comfortable speed, and fast speed walking but with no significant differences with the control group ( 46 ). Hornby et al, with their study, underlined how a high-intensity training can bring significant improvements in stepping amount and rate, with additional gains in spatiotemporal symmetry and balance confidence ( 47 ).…”

“…Some of the selected studies have shown that chronic stroke patients’ rehabilitation can also be performed in a home environment, with or without the presence of the physical therapist, taking for granted an adequate cognitive condition and ability to understand the instructions: in this way the management of the patient after discharging gets simpler ( 36 , 46 , 54 , 63 , 64 ).…”

Rehabilitation of Traumatic Acute Subdural Hematoma and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Case Report

“…Moreover, physiotherapy contributes to the prevention of secondary complications such as muscle atrophy, joint contractures, and respiratory issues, commonly observed in patients recovering from SAH and SDH. Additionally, physiotherapists play a pivotal role in optimizing patients' overall well-being by addressing pain management and promoting psychological resilience during the rehabilitation process [15][16][17][18].…”

Obstacles shape the way we walk at home

“…However, the investigation of how we walk in the restricted space of our everyday living environment, i.e., our home, is a relatively recent area of study. Research has begun to document the behavior of healthy individuals at home (Glaister et al, 2007;WSJ, 2012;Sannier et al, 2022), with implications for rehabilitation (Lim et al, 2021) and healthy aging (Taleb et al, 2009;Borelli et al, 2019). However, crucial information is still lacking, particularly in understanding the characteristics, needs, and locomotor constraints of people living naturally at home.…”