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Does weight-shifting exercise improve postural symmetry in sitting in people with hemiplegia?
1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hunghom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PR China. rssay@polyu.edu.hk
Background:
Weight-shifting exercise was empirically practised in correcting the biased posture of people with stroke-induced hemiplegia.
Objectives:
(1) Evaluate the loading symmetry at the buttock-seat interface as a reflection of a postural defect in sitting. (2) Investigate if weight-shifting exercises could correct the postural problem of people with hemiplegia.
Design:
Control group design.
Participants:
16 subjects with hemiplegia after stroke and 14 healthy individuals.
Procedures:
Subjects were assessed for buttock-seat interface loading while in erect sitting using a seat pressure mapping system. Subjects with stroke then practised one session of weight-shifting exercise followed by a reassessment.
Results:
The subjects with hemiplegia, particularly those with right hemisphere lesion, had more load borne at the buttock ipsilateral to the side of stroke lesion. The weight-shifting exercise did not produce an immediate improvement on the loading asymmetry.
Conclusion:
The exercise would require further investigation to clarify its benefits in treating postural problems after stroke.