The effect of aquatic training on static and semi-dynamic balance of patients with chronic ischemic stroke: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to investigate the effect of six-week aquatic exercise on the static and semi-dynamic balance of male patients with chronic ischemic stroke (CIS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This randomized clinical trial (RCT) included a total of 36 male CIS patients (mean age 60.2±6.7 years; range, 40 to 70 years) between January 2015 and January 2017. The patients were randomly divided into three groups consisting of 12 patients in each group: (i) exercising in shallow water, (ii) exercising in deep water, and (iii) control group. Training sessions were held three days a week for six weeks, and the control group did not participate in these sessions. The balance of the patients was checked using the Biodex balance system in two stages.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between the two intervention groups (shallow and deep) in terms of the balance assessment post-test (p>0.05), yet there was a statistically significant difference between the two intervention groups (shallow and deep) with the control group in terms of the semi-dynamic balance (total) score, (p<0.05); the semi-dynamic balance (total) of the two intervention groups (shallow and deep) was higher than that of the control group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study results indicate that exercise in both depths is a suitable solution to improve balance, particularly semi-dynamic balance (total) in male CIS patients. Accordingly, aquatic training has a positive effect on balance in male stroke patients and we can prescribe this protocol as a useful remedy for these patients.