EFFICACY OF TASK SPECIFIC STEP-UP EXERCISES ON THE GAIT PARAMETERS OF CHRONIC HEMIPARETIC STROKE INDIVIDUALS

Background: It has been contended that weight asymmetry and impaired balance function may be a consequence of a learned disuse of the paretic leg chronic hemiparetic stroke individuals. Purpose of the study: To determine whether the task- specific step up exercises would lead to greater improvements of spatio-temporal g ait parameters of chronic hemiparetic stroke individuals. Methods: 30 individuals, who had a stroke for more than 6 months and able to ambulate independently, were included in the study. Participants were rand omly assigned to the step up exercises group (n = 15) or control group (n =15). Participants were evaluat ed at baseline and after 4 weeks of intervention for gait measures like step length- affected/unaffected sides; str ide length- affected/unaffected sides; natural velocity; maximum velocity and cadence. The experimental group pe rformed forward, lateral and backward step up exercises, and the control group performed Conventional balanc e and gait training for30 min./session; five days/week. Results: Both groups improved significantly in all outcome measures .However, step up group demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in all gait meas ures compared with the control group (almost 2 fold of change was noticed in all gait measures of step u p group as compared with control group). Conclusions: The results of this study convince us that a compelled weight- bearing protocol through the step up training program is one such approach designed to facilitate en hanced movement in the involved lower limb reducing the impact of learned disuse. Brief Summary and Potential Implications: The step up exercises are accessible to patients and can be performed in the home, especially when patients are not able to come for regular outpatient therapy.