Comparative study between aquatic therapy and land-based exercises in hemiplegic patients after stroke: a randomized controlled trial
Georgia Iatridou, Alexandra N. Stergiou, Dimitrios N. Varvarousis, Areti Theodorou, Sofia Doulgeri, Henrietta-Syngliti Pelidou, George Dimakopoulos, Avraam PloumisABSTRACT
Objective
This study aimed to assess the effects of aquatic therapy in individuals with hemiplegia compared to those of a conventional land-based exercise program.
Design
This was a blinded, randomized controlled study of chronic stroke patients with hemiplegia. The participants were randomized in to aquatic therapy (experimental) or conventional therapy (control) groups. The aquatic therapy group conducted the exercise program in a swimming pool, and the conventional therapy group performed to an exercise on the land environment three times per week for six weeks. Both interventions focused on posture, balance, and weight-bearing exercises. Outcomes included the Berg Balance Scale, Brunnstrom scale, Motricity Index, muscle strength tests, Modified Ashworth Scale, Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke, Trunk Control Test and Functional Independence Measure. Also, postural sway was evaluated by using the variables of center of pressure displacements in the mediolateral and anteroposterior directions.
Results
The findings of the present study show that the experimental group (26 patients) exhibited significant improvements in spasticity compared to the control group (25 patients) (p = 0.01). The conventional therapy group also achieved significant improvements (p < 0.05) in anteroposterior deviation, mediolateral velocity, and total velocity of center of pressure in a sitting position with eyes closed.
Conclusion
Land-based exercises were more beneficial in the spasticity of chronic stroke patients.