Physical Therapists Use A Split-belt Treadmill To Help Stroke Patients Walk More Easily
The other problem is that it looks like it will be very expensive so that few clinics will be able to afford them, similar to Lokomat training. Luckily I moved to a clinic with the Lokomat and thought that using it was probably the most helpful in getting somewhat of a normal gait.
When the legs move at speeds different from one another, the brain receives an error signal and the brain and nervous system use the feedback to adjust. The cerebellum recalls this message even after the treadmill stops and for a few minutes, stroke patients can walk easier.
Split-belt treadmill training poststroke: a case study.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Even after rehabilitation, many individuals with strokes have residual gait deviations and limitations in functional walking. Applying the principles of motor adaptation through a split-belt treadmill walking paradigm can lead to short-term improvements in step length asymmetry after stroke. The focus of this case study was to determine whether it is possible to capitalize on these improvements for long-term gain.
CASE DESCRIPTION: The participant was a 36-year-old woman who was 1.6 years poststroke. She had a slow walking speed and multiple specific gait deviations, including step length asymmetry.
INTERVENTION: The participant walked on a split-belt treadmill 3 d/wk for 4 weeks, with the paretic leg on the slower of the two treadmill belts. The goal was 30 minutes of split-belt treadmill walking each day, followed by overground walking practice to reinforce improvements in step length symmetry.
OUTCOMES: With training, step length asymmetry decreased from 21% to 9% and decreased further to 7% asymmetry 1 month after training. Self-selected walking speed increased from 0.71 m/s to 0.81 m/s after training and 0.86 m/s 1 month later. Percent recovery, measured by the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), increased from 40% to 50% posttraining and to 60% 1 month later.
DISCUSSION: Improvements in step length symmetry were observed following training and these improvements were maintained 1 month later. Concomitant changes in clinical measures were also observed, although these improvements were modest. The outcomes for this participant are encouraging given the relatively small dose of training. They suggest that after stroke, short-term adaptation can be capitalized on through repetitive practice and can lead to longer-term improvements stroke.
There should be a way to duplicate this without having the split-belt treadmill but no one will research this since nothing could be sold as part of it.
Use the labels in the right column to find what you want. Or you can go thru them one by one, there are only 29,112 posts. Searching is done in the search box in upper left corner. I blog on anything to do with stroke.DO NOT DO ANYTHING SUGGESTED HERE AS I AM NOT MEDICALLY TRAINED, YOUR DOCTOR IS, LISTEN TO THEM. BUT I BET THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET YOU 100% RECOVERED. I DON'T EITHER, BUT HAVE PLENTY OF QUESTIONS FOR YOUR DOCTOR TO ANSWER.
Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.
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