The Effect of Public Health Physical Program on Paretic Side in Environmental Water Quality

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of aquatic treadmill exercise, also called public health physical program (PHPP), including healthy environmental water quality on walking speed, step length, and gait symmetry ratios in stroke. Ten patients with hemiplegic stroke admitted for treatment were recruited for this study. The walking program consisted of administering concentrative aquatic therapy for four weeks in a therapeutic pool with a water depth equal to the xiphoid process and a water temperature of 30°C. Walking parameters were measured using a gait analysis system adjusted to each subject’s comfortable gait velocity. The velocity of walking significantly increased after the PHPP in hemiplegic subjects. Step length of paretic and non-paretic lower limbs did not change significantly from before to after the PHPP. The stance phase ratio was significantly improved after the PHPP in stroke. However, no significant improvement was found in swing phase time ratio after the PHPP. These results suggest that the public health physical program during aquatic therapy may in part cont ribute to clinically relevant improvements in walking parameters.