Land-based and aquatic trunk exercise program improve trunk control, balance and activities of daily living ability in stroke: a randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND: There are many land-based or aquatic exercise programs for improving trunk control, balance, and activities of daily living in stroke patients. However, no study has reported the effects of an exercise program that combines land-based and aquatic trunk exercises in stroke patients. AIM: To investigate the effects of a land-based and aquatic trunk exercise (LATE) program on trunk control, balance, and activities of daily living in chronic stroke patients. DESIGN: This study was designed as a single-blind randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Inpatient rehabilitation ward, Goyang, Republic of Korea. POPULATION: Twenty-nine patients participated in this study. METHODS: Participants were randomly allocated to the LATE group (N.=14) and control group (N.=15). The LATE program consisted of land-based and aquatic trunk exercises, performed for 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks as an adjunct to 30 minutes of conventional physical therapy. The control group underwent only conventional physical therapy for 30 minutes each time, twice per day, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks. The participants were tested before and after the intervention using the Korean Trunk Impairment Scale (K-TIS) and the 5-item, 3-level Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke (PASS-3L) to assess trunk control; the 7-item, 3-level Berg Balance Scale (BBS-3L) and the Functional Reach Test (FRT) to evaluate balance; and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI) to assess activities of daily living. RESULTS: The LATE group exhibited improvements in K-TIS, PASS-3L, BBS-3L, and MBI scores and FRT distance compared with the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the LATE program can help improve trunk control, balance, and activities of daily living in chronic stroke patients and may be used as a practical adjunct to conventional physical therapy. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The LATE program can improve postural control in stroke patients and improve independence in daily activities.