RESUMEN
The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of different feedback frequencies on body weight distribution and functional balance in patients with stroke. Eighteen individuals with acute and subacute stroke were randomly assigned into 0 %, 20 %, 50 %, and 100 % feedback group. In additional to conventional Physical Therapy, all patients practiced standing their balance on the Balance Performance Monitor (BPM) 10 times per day, 5 days a week for 2 weeks. During the subjects received visual feedback from light on the monitor, verbal feedback and manual guidance. Body weight distribution (BWD) were evaluated before and 1-day after training. Descriptive statistics were used in this study. The result showed that after training the median of percent difference in body weight distribution had tendency to decrease more in 100 % and 50 % feedback group 95.2 % (23.8-99.2) and 72.2 % (32.0-96.2), respectively than in 20 % and 0 % feedback 42.4 % (41.0-44.8) and 41.1 % (26.1-83.3), respectively. This indicated that providing feedback to patients in acute and sub-acute stage at high frequency was more effective in learning weight bearing in standing than low frequency as they were in learning stage. External feedback helped augment the insufficient internal feedback. In conclusion, high feedback frequency had tendency to improve the body weight distribution better than low feedback frequency.
RESUMEN
Falls are an important cause of death for adults aged 65 years and above. Most preventive strategy studies of falls have involved exercises to promote strength and balance. However, these exercise programs were designed by therapists without the elderly’s participation in designing the programs. The objective of this research was to study effects of physical therapy program with client-centered approach on functional balance (Berg Balance Scale and Timed Up and Go Test) in the elderly. A 12-week study was conducted in 9 elders with fall risks (2 men and 7 women, mean age 77.4 ± 5.8 years) of Samliam 1 community, Khon Kaen Province. During the first 4 weeks, specific problems relating to functional balance of each subject were assessed and discussed between the subject and the investigator, after which a physical therapy program with client-centered approach to improve functional balance was cooperatively designed and individually tailored to each elder. The subject was then instructed to perform the program for 8 weeks. The subject’s functional balance was assessed at baseline and every 4 weeks until the end of the study, and was analyzed using paired t-test. It was found that the physical therapy program with client-centered approach significantly improved the Berg Balance Scale (P \< 0.05). However, it was observed that changes in the functional balance scores were frequently influenced by pain at any body part of the subjects but the present study program did not pay much attention on the issue of pain. Therefore, it is suggested that to improve older people’ balance, therapists should widen their approaches to cover other factors relating to balance as much as possible.