Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
A Rehabilitation Program of Exoskeleton-assisted Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training with Non-immersive Virtual Reality for Stroke Patients
Published on: May 16, 2025
The effects of balance training on gait late after stroke: a randomized controlled trial
Gunes Yavuzer1, Filiz Eser, Dilek Karakus
1Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Ankara, Turkey. gunesyavuzer@hotmail.com
Objective:
To investigate the effects of balance training, using force platform biofeedback, on quantitative gait characteristics of hemiparetic patients late after stroke.
Design:
Randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded trial.
Setting:
Rehabilitation ward and gait laboratory of a university hospital.
Subjects:
Forty-one patients (mean (standard deviation; SD) age of 60.9 (11.7) years) with hemiparesis late after stroke (median time since stroke six months) were randomly assigned to an experimental or a control group.
Interventions:
The control group (n = 19) participated in a conventional stroke inpatient rehabilitation programme, whereas the experimental group (n = 22) received 15 sessions of balance training (using force platform biofeedback) in addition to the conventional programme.
Main Outcome Measures:
Selected paretic side time-distance, kinematic and kinetic gait parameters in sagittal, frontal and transverse planes were measured using a three-dimensional computerized gait analysis system, one week before and after the experimental treatment programme.
Results:
The control group did not show any statistically significant difference regarding gait characteristics. Pelvic excursion in frontal plane improved significantly (P = 0.021) in the experimental group. The difference between before-after change scores of the groups was significant for pelvic excursion in frontal plane (P = 0.039) and vertical ground reaction force (P = 0.030) in favour of experimental group.
Conclusion:
Balance training using force platform biofeedback in addition to a conventional inpatient stroke rehabilitation programme is beneficial in improving postural control and weight-bearing on the paretic side while walking late after stroke.