The researchers at ‘Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation (BIR)’, named among the top rehabilitation hospitals in the US in 2007, are on the way to devise a new way for the rehabilitation of the Stroke Patients. This institute is a non profit organization providing rehabilitation services to the survivors of traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, strokes, or those suffering from other orthopedic and neurological disorders.

There are around 700,000 cases of heart stroke in a year. These patients are unable to retain their ability to walk as they did before the stroke. However the physical therapists have come up with a new way using a specialized kind of treadmill.

The results of the study would soon appear in the April issue of the ‘Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation’.

Often times, during rehabilitation, stroke patients develop an abnormal gait pattern, which can be difficult and sometimes impossible to correct.

Karen McCain, D.P.T., lead investigator of the study at BIR shares that despite a wide ranging rehabilitation, it is a common occurrence among the survivors of stroke with any kind of disability related to walk to develop an impaired gait. This incorrect walk generally affects the confidence of the patients and also increases the chances of their meeting with some accident or injury.

To the delight of Karen, all the seven of the patients who participated in the study were able to retain their normal gait, even without any extra support of a walking cane. She is quite hopeful of coming up with something big as she reviews the results and says, “In my 14 years as a physical therapist I have not treated seven stroke patients total that walk this well.”

A new approach known as “locomotors treadmill” training was utilized for the patients. This treadmill has a harness which allows the patients to share some portion of their body as they are secured with the harness while walking on it. Due to reduction in body weight, the patients are able to regain their walk in a secured way. The body weight is gradually increased till they are able to regain their normal gait without any support or assistance.

Lisa Day, a 44-year-old survivor of stroke, had her whole left side completely paralyzed after the stroke in September 2007.However she was able to regain the same gait as she had prior to the stroke with the help of the treadmill.

Karen credits the success of this new approach to the early intervention. She explains that patients were able to work out on the treadmill right after the treatment met to them for a stroke. This helps in combating the development of any kind of abnormality in the walk in the first place. Till now the patients use walkers and other assistive devices to regain their normal walk.

McCain adds,” Our ultimate goal for this study is to one day change the clinical practice in physical therapy.”

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