The effects of physical therapy on exaggerated muscle tonicity, balance and quality of life on hemiparetic patients due to stroke
Hoseinabadi, M.R.; Taheri, H.R.; Keavanloo, F.; Seyedahmadi, M.; Mohamadinia, M.; Pejhan, A.
JPMA. Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association 63(6): 735-738
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 0030-9982 PMID: 23901675 Document Number: 666274
To determine the effects of physical therapy on balance, exaggerated muscle tonicity and quality of life on patients with hemiparesis. This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2011 among male hemiparetic patients secondary to stroke, at a physiotherapy centre in Neyshabur, Iran. Twenty-four patients were randomly assigned to two equal groups representing the cases and the controls.The cases were assigned to do the practical protocol for 4 weeks.To collect the data, Berg Balance Scaling, Modified Ashworth Scale, Barthel Activities of Daily Living Index and demographic questionnaires were used. Paired and un-paired t-tests were used to analyse data. All analyses were done on SPSS 16. The two groups were similar before intervention. Post-test analysis showed that the average balance and quality of life significantly improved (p<0.001) among the cases, and the quadriceps muscle tonicity decreased (p<0.001). Among the controls, there was no significant change between pre-test and post-test readings. Physical therapy can enhance balance and quality of life of hemiparetic patients and reduces their exaggerated muscle tonicity.