Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: June | Volume: 6 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 303-307
Efficacy of Swiss Ball Therapy in Balance Rehabilitation of Hemiplegic Stroke Participants
Parthiban Alagappan1, Manivel Arumugam2, Ramamoorthy Veyilmuthu3
1Senior Physiotherapist – Grade II, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, PSG Hospitals, Coimbatore.
2Senior Physiotherapist, Department of Pulmonology, PSG Hospitals, Coimbatore.
3Professor & HOD, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, PSG Hospitals, Coimbatore.
Corresponding Author: Parthiban Alagappan
ABSTRACT
Background: Impaired balance is one of the most common problems in post stroke patients. Thus the subject may unable to maintain balance in sitting and standing or to move in weight bearing posture without loss of balance. Treatment focusing on balance impairment is important to achieve functional independence at the earliest following stroke.
Methodology: Quasi experimental design – pretest and posttest designs with two groups at Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, PSG Hospitals, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 30 stroke patients in the age group of 45 to 60 years who satisfied the selection criteria were randomly assigned into two groups. Group A received conventional therapy along with balance training using swiss ball for 60 minutes/session and Group B received conventional therapy along with balance training on mat and stool for 60 minutes/session. Outcomes were measured with Berg balance scale.
Results: All participants in Group A and Group B showed significant improvement in Berg balance scale with a mean difference of 13.6 and 8.7 respectively, calculated ‘t’ value using the paired test for group A and B were 39.3 and 15.9 (P<0.05) respectively. When comparing between the groups using independent ‘t’ test, the Berg balance scale scores showed mean difference of 4.6 and ‘t’ value of 5.4 (P<0.05)
Conclusion: This study revealed that there was a significant improvement in balance following balance training on Swiss ball than on bed and stool among hemi paretic patients.
Key words: Swiss ball, Static balance, Dynamic balance, Berg Balance Scale
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