In a nutshell
This study compared home-based rehabilitation with hospital-based rehabilitation after a stroke. It found that both programs improved balance and walking in these patients.
Some background
One of the most important treatments for patients who have had a stroke is rehabilitation. Rehabilitation enables patients to recover as much function as possible after a stroke. Rehabilitation programs have typically taken place in hospitals. However hospital-based programs can be costly and difficult to access for some patients. It is therefore important to find out if a home-based rehabilitation program can be as effective as a hospital-based program.
Methods & findings
This study looked at 17 patients recovering from strokes. 9 patients underwent a home-based rehabilitation program and 8 patients underwent a clinic-based program. The effect of rehabilitation was measured using a number of tests, including the 10-meter walk test (10MWT). The 10MWT measures how many seconds it takes to walk 10 meters.
The home-based rehabilitation group improved their average 10MWT from 39 to 33 seconds after 6 weeks of treatment. The clinic-based group improved their average 10MWT from 28 to 22 seconds after 6 weeks. There were similar improvements in balance and quality of life between groups.
The bottom line
This study showed that home-based rehabilitation was as effective as clinic-based rehabilitation over a 6 week period in patients who have had a stroke.
The fine print
This study involved a very small group of patients. Larger studies are needed to support these results.
Published By :
Medicine
Date :
Sep 03, 2021
