The Influence of Applying Additional Weight to the Affected Leg on Gait Patterns During Aquatic Treadmill Walking in People Poststroke

I can't see any use for this. The number of hospitals that can afford and use an underwater treadmill has to be miniscule. You would first need a pool, then buy a very expensive treadmill that works underwater. Or you get the self enclosed pool around the treadmill, still expensive.  But the research was done for whatever reason, so we have to deal with it. A direct result of absolutely NO STROKE STRATEGY LEADING TO 100% RECOVERY.  Aren't you glad we have NO stroke leadership? But the NSA says stroke is beatable, maybe they should actually talk to a few survivors and get the hell out of their bubble.

Options here:

• underwater treadmill (6 posts)

 

The Influence of Applying Additional Weight to the Affected Leg on Gait Patterns During Aquatic Treadmill Walking in People Poststroke

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The Influence of Applying Additional Weight to the Affected Leg on Gait Patterns During Aquatic Treadmill Walking in People Poststroke
Taeyou Jung, PhD, ATC, DoKyeong Lee, MS, Charalambos Charalambous, MS, Konstantinos Vrongistinos, PhD

ABSTRACT. 

Jung T, Lee D, Charalambous C, VrongistinosK. The influence of applying additional weight to the affected leg on gait patterns during aquatic treadmill walking in peoplepoststroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2010;91:129-36.
Objective:
 To investigate how the application of additional weights to the affected leg influences gait patterns of people poststroke during aquatic treadmill walking.
Design:
Comparative gait analysis.
Setting:
 University-based aquatic therapy center.
Participants:
Community-dwelling volunteers (n

22) with chronic hemiparesis caused by stroke.
Interventions:
 Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
 Spatiotemporal and kinematic gait parameters.
Results:
The use of an ankle weight showed an increase inthe stance phase percentage of gait cycle (3%,
 P

.015) when compared with no weight. However, the difference was not significant after a Bonferroni adjustment was applied for a more stringent statistical analysis. No significant differences were found in cadence and stride length. The use of an ankle weight showed a significant decrease of the peak hip flexion(7.9%,
P

.001) of the affected limb as compared with no weight condition. This decrease was marked as the reduction of unwanted limb flotation because people post stroke typically show excessive hip flexion of the paretic leg in the late swing phase followed by fluctuating hip movements during aquatic treadmill walking. The frontal and transverse plane hip motions did not show any significant differences but displayed a trend of a decrease in the peak hip abduction during the swing phase with additional weights. The use of additional weight did not alter sagittal plane kinematics of the knee and ankle joints.
Conclusions:
 The use of applied weight on the affected limb can reduce unwanted limb flotation on the paretic side during aquatic treadmill walking. It can also assist the stance stability by increasing the stance phase percentage closer to 60% of gait cycle. Both findings can contribute to the development of more efficient motor patterns in gait training for people post stroke.The use of a cuff weight does not seem to reduce the limb circumduction during aquatic treadmill walking.
Key Words:
 Exercise therapy; Gait; Hemiparesis; Rehabilitation; Stroke.©
 2010 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine