PNF and Movement 2019; 17(1): 47-56
https://doi.org/10.21598/JKPNFA.2019.17.1.47
The Effect of Neck Pattern of PNF on Balance and Walking Ability in Patients with Chronic Stroke
Dae-Hyouk Bang⋅Myung-Soo Song1†
Department of Physical Therapy, Ik-San Oriental Hospital, Wonkwng University, 1Dr. Song’s Rehabilitation Institute of Science and Academy
Correspondence to: †Myung-Soo Song (9298ms@hanmail.net)
Received: November 2, 2018; Revised: November 13, 2018; Accepted: November 20, 2018; Published online: April 30, 2019.
© Korea Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Association. All rights reserved.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Purpose: This study investigated the effects of neck pattern of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on balance and walking ability in patients with chronic stroke.
Methods: Fourteen participants with chronic stroke were randomly assigned to vestibular rehabilitation and then divided into two groups: the neck pattern group or treadmill group. Each group underwent 20 sessions (20 minutes/day, five days/week, for four weeks). Patients were assessed with the Berg balance scale (BBS) and gait parameters (gait speed, cadence, step length, and double-limb support period) using a GAITRite system.
Results: Vestibular rehabilitation for the neck pattern group and the treadmill group showed significant intragroup improvement on the BBS and in terms of gait speed, cadence, step length, and double-limb support period (p < 0.05). Vestibular rehabilitation was more effective for the neck pattern group than for the treadmill group in terms of the BBS (p = 0.00; 95% CI, 1.49–5.94), gait speed (p = 0.01; 95% CI, 0.05–0.16), cadence (p = 0.02; 95% CI, 0.54–4.99), and step length (p = 0.00, 95% CI, 1.55–4.62).
Conclusion: This study used the neck pattern of PNF for vestibular rehabilitation in patients with chronic stroke. The results showed significant improvement in the patients’ balance and walking ability. Therefore, the neck pattern of PNF for vestibular stimulation may be more effective than treadmill training to improve balance and walking ability in patients with chronic stroke.
Keywords: Balance, Neck pattern, PNF, Stroke, Vestibular rehabilitation, Walking

This Article


Services
Social Network Service

e-submission

Search for

Archives