Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: June | Volume: 6 | Issue: 6 | Pages: 208-214
Effect of Provision of Cane on Walking Adaptability in Community Dwelling Post Stroke Patients
J. Raja Regan1, V. Prabhkaran2, R. Monisha2, N. Dhanashree2, A. Solomon Augustus2, S. Sowmiya2
1Associate Professor, PSG College of Physiotherapy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
2Under Graduates, PSG College of Physiotherapy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Corresponding Author: J. Raja Regan
ABSTRACT
Background of the study: Walking aids are sometimes prescribed after stroke with the aim of improving safety and walking ability. The prescription of single point cane could be more helpful to post stroke people who already have some ability to ambulate around their community.
Objective: To find the effect of single point cane on walking adaptability and willingness to use the same in community dwelling post stroke patients.
Design: Repeated measure design
Setting: Department of Neurology and Stroke rehabilitation centre, PSG Hospitals, Coimbatore.
Participants: 52 post stroke patients.
Experimental conditions: Walking with and without cane
Main outcome measures:
Time taken to complete 6 meter walk test and TUG test with and without cane and the willingness of patients to use cane is considered.
Results:
Wilcoxon signed rank test ‘z’ value for all participants in TUG test with and without cane is 2.36 ( p<0.05) therefore, there is significant difference in TUG test with and without cane.
For slow walkers calculated paired ‘t’ test value for TUG test with and without cane is 0.239 (p>0.05) therefore, there is no significant difference in TUG test with and without canes.
For intermediate and fast walkers calculated paired ‘t’ test value and Wilcoxon test ‘z’ for TUG test with and without cane is 2.24 and 2.93 respectively (p<0.05) therefore, there is a significant difference in TUG test with and without cane.
Among 52 participants 63.46% were not willing to use cane for their day to day activities and 36.54% were willing to use cane for their day to day activities.
Conclusion: In conclusion this study found that the provisions of cane have both positive and negative impact on functional mobility in independent community ambulatory post stroke patients.
For slow walkers the provision of cane resulted in more benefit by decrease in time taken for completion of task therefore, cane may be recommended for their functional activities
For intermediate and fast walkers the provision of cane resulted in increase in time taken for completion of task therefore, cane may not be recommended for their functional activities. Even though using cane can have impact on walking adaptability, willingness of the patients to use cane should be considered.
Key words: stroke, cane, walking adaptability, rehabilitation
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