Efficacy of Bilateral Arm Training on Upper Limb Motor Function in Stroke Patients

Where is the protocol on this located so survivors can bring it to their therapists attention? No protocol, you did completely fucking useless research!

Efficacy of Bilateral Arm Training on Upper Limb Motor Function in Stroke Patients

Dr. Senthil Kumar*, Dr. Franklin Shaju M.K**, Dr. Vijaya Senthil Kumar*** & Dr. A. Velmurugan****
*Research Scholar, Himalayan University, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
**Professor, RVS College of Physiotherapy, Tamil Nadu, India.***Research Scholar, Himalayan University, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
****Professor, St. John’s College of Nursing, Kattappana, Kerala, India.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.47211/tg.2020.v07i04.003

ABSTRACT

Background of the study: 

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability. Stroke patients experience a significant change in motor function. Perceived loss of hand function has been reported as a major problem in approximately 65% of patients with stroke. Motor dysfunction of upper extremity which indeed affects functional performance of daily life is an outcome of stroke. So restriction of motor function is highly relevant for stroke patients to make them functionally independent. Stroke rehabilitation needs to concentrate on retraining techniques which are simple, affordable and effective. Objectives of the study: The objective of the study is to find the effects of bilateral arm training in the management of upper limb motor function in stroke patients. 

Method: 

An experimental Research design, thirty clinically diagnosed middle cerebral artery (MCA) ischemic stroke patients were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were randomly allocated into two groups, A and B consisting of 15 subjects each. Group-A received conventional physical therapy and group-B received bilateral arm training techniques along with conventional physical therapy. The intervention lasted for fifteen days and one hour per day. Upper limb motorfunction was measured before and after fifteen days of intervention by motor assessment scale. 

Conclusion: 

Both the groups receiving conventional physical therapy and bilateral arm training, among middle cerebral artery stroke patients, significantly experienced improvement in upper limb motor functions. While comparing the two groups of subjects, the group receiving bilateral arm training showed more effective improvement in upper limb motor function than the one receiving only conventional physical therapy.
Key Words: Stroke, Bilateral arm training technique, conventional physiotherapy, upper limb motor function