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Does Combining Body Weight Support Treadmill Training with Thera- Band�?® Improve Hemiparetic Gait?

Diana Veneri

Introduction: The purpose of this case report was to explore the use of Thera-Band® Elastic Band in combination with body weight support treadmill training during locomotor training of a person with chronic stroke. Methods: Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established and Institutional Review Board approvals were obtained. During treadmill training, the Thera-Band® was configured around the participant’s hemiparetic leg in a figure-8 fashion and attached to the harness of the body weight support. The purpose of the Thera-Band® was to assist with hip and knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion during swing and proper foot placement during stance, avoiding excessive inversion. The locomotor training protocol consisted of thirty minutes of training at ten-minute intervals with five-minute rest periods in between, three times per week for a total of ten weeks. Outcome measures included fast gait speed, spatiotemporal variables of gait, endurance and strength of ankle eversion. Data collection occurred at baseline, during weeks five and ten of the training protocol and at six weeks follow-up (week sixteen). Results: All 90 training trials were completed. Mean gait speed increased from .625m/s at baseline to 1.10m/s at week sixteen. Gait distance increased from 191m at baseline to 367m at week 16; ankle eversion strength increased from 4.67 ± 0.45 to 5.90 ± 0.59 force/Kg. GAITRite data demonstrated a more symmetrical gait pattern, with a more equal step length and stance time when comparing the left and right limbs, and an increased stride length bilaterally. Discussion: The results of this case report with one participant demonstrated significant improvement in the fast walking speed, gait endurance, gait symmetry and spatiotemporal gait variables and ankle eversion strength. Several limitations and suggestions for further research were identified.