Objective

Assess the efficiency of a specific postural tasks training and walking on varied ground protocol on postural balance and walking parameters in subacute stroke patients.

Material/patients and methods

We realized a double-blind randomized study to assess the efficiency of our protocol based on the repetitive postural specific task and walking training on varied grounds.

Our patients were divided into two groups G1 (exercise = 5 patients) and G2 (control = 4 patients). The two groups received usual rehabilitation. Patients in G1 received in addition a 60-minutes circuit training sessions, three times a week, during 4 weeks. The initial and final assessments were performed by using a balance platform (Satel ^® ), Locometre de Bessou ^® and Tinetti test.

Results

There were no differences between both groups in clinical, anthropometric, and postural parameters.

We noted more important improvements in group G1 compared to the group G2 especially in Tinetti score (19% against 9%), walking speed (97% against 25%), the step cadence (48% against 8%), the step length (24% vs 15%). The balance evaluation on the platform noted a more important improvement closed eyes than opened eyes in static and dynamic conditions. These improvements were not significant statistically due to the weakness of our patient’s number.

Discussion–conclusion

Our study suggests an improvement of the postural balance and the walking parameters in subacute patients by using a protocol based on specific repetitive postural tasks and walking training on varied grounds. Few studies focused on the efficiency of this kind of protocols on subacute stroke patient and have used different rehabilitation and evaluations methods and the comparison of the different result is difficult. The recruitment of more important number of patients is necessary to confirm our hypothesis statistically.