Background Postural instability, gait dysfunctions, and tendency to fall resulting from asymmetrical weight-bearing restrict balance and mobility functions among stroke survivors. Symmetrical weight-bearing is essential for restoring mobility functions following stroke. Strategies to improve symmetrical weight-bearing remain a challenge in stroke rehabilitation. Objective To explore the evidence regarding the effectiveness of weight-bearing interventions to improve physical performance among subjects with stroke. Methods Five databases, including PubMed, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Google Scholar, and OpenGrey, were screened for identifying published and unpublished studies from their inception and up to 2022. Studies investigating the effect of symmetrical weight-bearing interventions among stroke subjects using objective or self-reporting of physical function as an outcome tool were included. Ten articles with grade 1b level of evidence demonstrated an average PEDro score of 6.4. The risk of bias was moderate among the articles. Results Ten articles with 276 participants were included in this review. Meta-analysis performed using 9 articles report that gait-specific weight-bearing improved balance and gait velocity with an overall effect size of 1.35 (95% confidence interval: 0.88–1.81) and 0.66 (95% confidence interval: 0.20–1.13). However, the effect size of step length (0.51), cadence (0.26), and fall efficacy scale (0.21) indicates nonsignificant improvement. Conclusions This meta-analysis suggests that gait-specific weight-bearing strategies are effective in improving balance and speed of walking but did not improve other parameters of gait and risk of fall. These strategies could be used to improve the symmetrical weight-bearing of stroke subjects in rehabilitation settings who do not have access to technological assistance in rehabilitation.

Post-immobilization deficiency in wrist motion is a common complication following distal radius fractures and it interferes with daily life activities. The wrist and the hand play a vital role in the manipulation grasping and releasing of objects. Achieving a functional range of motion and adequate muscle power to perform daily activities remains a challenge for therapists involved in rehabilitation. The present case is a 27-year-old electrician who visited our outpatient physiotherapy department with wrist joint stiffness. He had a history of falls and sustained a distal radius fracture on his right forearm and was operated on with a buttress plate and screws 2 months ago. In this case study an eccentric exercise-based rehabilitation program was prescribed in addition to conventional wrist and hand rehabilitation. An eccentric exercise program is modified and progressed according to the patientrsquos tolerance. Pain range of motion muscle strength of wrist and disability of the arm shoulder and hand score were used as outcome measures. Following two weeks of the eccentricbased rehabilitation program the patient achieved improvement in wrist motions and disability of the arm shoulder and hand score results. The eccentric exercise program is effective in improving wrist range motion muscle power and hand function following stiffness.

The aim of this case report was to evaluate the outcome of blood flow resistance training in the rehabilitation of posterolateral corner reconstruction in a 26-year-old male who met with a road traffic accident eight months ago. He was diagnosed with grade 3 anterior cruciate ligament ACL and posterior horn of medial meniscus along with proximal tibia posterolateral corner injury with posterior cruciate ligament PCL tear over right knee joint following which he underwent arthroscopy surgery for the same. Though he underwent early postoperative rehabilitation as prescribed he continued to experience difficulty in climbing down the stairs swelling over right knee crepitus in the right knee joint associated with movements. He visited outpatient department of Alvarsquos College of Physiotherapy and Research Centre at Moodbidri for evaluation and further management. Residual muscle weakness and associated impairments were identified in the examination and hence was suggested to continue rehabilitation for the same. To strengthen the muscles blood flow restriction training protocol was incorporated in the routine rehabilitation of posterolateral corner reconstruction. The literature on effect of blood flow restriction training following posterolateral corner injuries is scarce and the present study outcomes could provide some insight into the same. Lower Extremity Function Scale was used to evaluate the outcomes of blood flow restriction training before and after the intervention. A total of 15 sessions of blood flow restriction training was given for quadriceps and hamstrings and the outcomes were assessed. Significant changes were observed in lower extremity functional scale from a pre-intervention score of 42.580 to post-intervention score of 6080. The increase in the scores above nine scales indicate an improvement in the functional performances of lower extremity. It can be thus be concluded that blood flow restriction training could be effective in improving residual lower extremity deficits following arthroscopic posterolateral corner injuries.

Practice of mild-to-moderate physical exercise could be beneficial to patients recuperating from COVID-19, whereas vigorous physical exercise could result in opposite health effect. Evaluation of pulmonary and cardiac function could show silent functional impairment.

No abstract