• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.228-233
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• 2015

Purpose: Gait is the most basic element when evaluating the quality of life with activities of daily living under ordinary life circumstances. Symmetrical use of the lower extremities requires complicated coordination of all limbs. Thus, this study examined asymmetry of muscle activity quadriceps femoris and tibialis anterior as a baseline for training during over-ground walking and stair walking of stroke patients. Methods: Subjects were 14 stroke patients included as one experimental group. Gait speed used in this study was determined by the subject. Low extremity paretic and non-paretic EMG was compared using the surface EMG system. Results: The low extremity EMG difference was statistically significant during over-ground walking and stair walking (p<0.05). The result of low extremity EMG substituted symmetry ratio formula was compared to EMG symmetry ratio in both legs during over-ground walking and stair walking. The average symmetry ratio of quadriceps femoris during over-ground walking was 0.65, and average symmetry ratio of quadriceps femoris during stair walking was 0.47, with significant difference (p<0.05). Conclusion: EMG data was higher in stair walking than over-ground walking. However, in the comparison of symmetry ratio, asymmetric EMG of quadriceps femoris was significantly increased during stair walking. These findings suggested that application of stair walking for strengthening of both legs can be positive, but the key factor is maintaining asymmetrical posture of both legs. Therefore, physical therapists should make an effort to reduce asymmetry of quadriceps femoris power during stair walking by stroke patients.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.10-17
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to determine the therapeutic effect of slope changes of the treadmill with body weight-supported training on gait characteristics in patients with hemiplegia. The volunteered subjects were divided into 3 groups based upon slope changes: control group ($0^{\circ}$ incline), $7^{\circ}$ group ($7^{\circ}$ incline), $12^{\circ}$ group ($12^{\circ}$ incline), They were trained the body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) for 8 weeks. All subjects were supported up to 40% of their body weight on the treadmill training and the support was gradually decreased to 0~10% as the subjects were adapted to the training. There were significant improvements of walking velocity, step length of the affected side, the asymmetry ratio of step length in $7^{\circ}$ group (57.80 cm/s, 67.25 cm, .14), $12^{\circ}$ group (71.00 cm/s, 71.00 cm, .11) than control group (40.62 cm/s, 55.00 cm, .74) (p<.05): there were no differences between $7^{\circ}$ group and $12^{\circ}$ group in the all outcomes (p>.05). Both $7^{\circ}$ group and $12^{\circ}$ group scored higher than the control group in those outcomes and finally the effects of slopes changes of the treadmill were effective on gait characteristics of patients. But it s till remains undetermined what degree on the treadmill might be better to train the hemipareric patients. Therefore, more studies are required to look into minutely the changes of slopes of the treadmill influencing on gait characteristics.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.6237-6245
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• 2013

This study examined the effects of backward walking with rhythmic auditory stimulation on the gait and balance of stroke patients. Twenty-one people were divided randomly into three groups; group I(n=7, forward walking), group II(n=7, backward walking), group III(n=7, backward walking by rhythmic auditory stimulation). Each group was trained for 30 minutes 5 times per week for 3 weeks, and was evaluated using a 10m walking test, time up and go test, functional reach test, stride length and step length asymmetry ratio. As a result, the pre- to post-test measures revealed a significant effect in each group on the gait speed, gait symmetry and balance(p<.05). The walking speed, gait symmetry and balance were higher in group II (p<.05) than in group I and it was the highest in group III(p<.05). The stride length was higher in group II and group III(p<.05) than in group I. In conclusion, for stroke patients, backward walking training with rhythmic auditory stimulation is effective on the gait speed, gait symmetry and balance.

• Journal of Korea Entertainment Industry Association
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.207-215
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• 2019

This study examines the effect of the height of cane that hemiplegic patients due to stroke use on their plantar pressure in standing position, gait speed. The study suggests a new standard for appropriate cane height that considers the change of average height of population. Research subjects included 12 patients hospitalized in S Medical Care Hospital located in Gwangju Metropolitan City in South Korea who were diagnosed with stroke. Group A uses a cane of the height of the greater trochanter of femur, group B uses a cane of 5cm above the height of the greater trochanter of femur, and group C is a cane of 10cm above the height of the greater trochanter of femur. In the study result, non-affected side plantar pressure and affected side plantar pressure showed a significant difference among the cases where the cane height was the same as the A group, B group, C group. In the post-hoc analysis result, a significant difference was observed between the case of A group and C group. Gait speed showed no significant difference among the case of the A group, B group, C group. The asymmetry of the stroke affects not only the posture but also the walking that is related to daily life. Changes in the height of the cane did not affect walking speed. The change in the height of the cane showed a change in the weight support ratio, which is thought to have a positive effect on the asymmetry. In future clinical setting, this study result will be able to provide fundamental data regarding the cane height in the standing or walking therapy for hemiplegic patients due to stroke with cane application.