From Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital, Laval (M.V., N.K.-B); School of
Physical and Occupational Therapy (H.B., N.K.-B., N.E.M.) and Department of
Epidemiology (N.E.M.), McGill University, Montreal; and Royal Victoria
Hospital, Montreal (N.E.M.), Quebec, Canada.
Background and Purpose—A new gait
training strategy for patients with stroke proposes to support a
percentage of the patient's body weight while retraining gait on a
treadmill. This research project intended to compare the effects of
gait training with body weight support (BWS) and with no body weight
support (no-BWS) on clinical outcome measures for patients with
stroke.
Methods—One hundred subjects with stroke were randomized to
receive one of two treatments while walking on a treadmill: 50 subjects
were trained to walk with up to 40% of their body weight supported by
a BWS system with overhead harness (BWS group), and the other 50
subjects were trained to walk bearing full weight on their lower
extremities (no-BWS group). Treatment outcomes were assessed on the
basis of functional balance, motor recovery, overground walking speed,
and overground walking endurance.
Results—After a 6-week training period, the BWS group scored
significantly higher than the no-BWS group for functional balance
(P=0.001), motor recovery (P=0.001),
overground walking speed (P=0.029), and overground
walking endurance (P=0.018). The follow-up evaluation, 3
months after training, revealed that the BWS group continued to have
significantly higher scores for overground walking speed
(P=0.006) and motor recovery
(P=0.039).
Conclusions—Retraining gait in patients with stroke while a
percentage of their body weight was supported resulted in better
walking abilities than gait training while the patients were bearing
their full weight. This novel gait training strategy provides a dynamic
and integrative approach for the treatment of gait dysfunction after
stroke.
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.
Original Contributions
A New Approach to Retrain Gait in Stroke Patients Through Body Weight Support and Treadmill Stimulation
Key Words: hemiplegia • rehabilitation • stroke management • treatment outcome
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