Effects of Tredmil Training with and without Mirror Therapy on Lower Limb Function, Dynamic Balance, and Gait in Chronic Stroke Patients

Abstract

Stroke, a brain attack, causes approximately 17 million new strokes annually, leading to motor deficits in up to 80% of patients, 30% experiencing long-term deficits in independent walking, and two-thirds experiencing functional limitations in lower limbs. The objective of this research is to determine the effect of treadmill training with and without mirror therapy on lower limb function, dynamic balance, and gait in chronic stroke patients. This research involved 24 chronic stroke patients divided into two groups: Group A received lower-limb treadmill training with mirror treatment, and Group B received treadmill training without mirror treatment. Both groups received traditional physiotherapy methods. The study found that MAS was non-parametric, while other measures were parametric. The trial lasted eight weeks, using six-minute walk testing, the modified Ashworth scale, and Fugl-Meyer assessment (lower extremity). The study found that the "mirror therapy" group had better results than the "control group" group, with P values of 0.023 and 0.00, respectively, for the outcome measures "MAS post-intervention" and "6MWT post-intervention." The "Mirror Therapy" group also improved more than the "Control Group" group in the outcome measure "FMA-LE Post-Intervention."This study concluded that there was a significant association between treadmill training and mirror therapy and lower limb functioning, dynamic balance, and gait in chronic stroke patients.