Comparison of the Effects of Exercise by Chronic Stroke Patients in Aquatic and Land Environments

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of land exercise and aquatic exercise on chronic stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were randomly divided into a land exercise group (12 males and 10 females; average age: 56.09 ± 7.22 years) and an aquatic exercise group (15 males and 7 females; average age: 51.55 ± 8.27 years). Subjects from both groups received general conventional treatment during the experimental period. In addition, all subjects engaged in extra treatment sessions. This extra treatment consisted of trunk stability strengthening exercises and balance training exercises in the land exercise group, whereas in the aquatic exercise group subjects participated in balance board exercises and walking exercises using buoyancy equipment in the hospital swimming pool. [Results] The joint position sense test and performance oriented mobility assessment showed significant improvements in both groups. However, the joint position sense test and performance oriented mobility assessment showed there was more improvement in the aquatic exercise group than in the land exercise group. [Conclusion] The results suggest that aquatic exercise is more effective than land exercise at improving the joint position sense and clinical functions of stroke patients.