Study To Assess The Efficacy Of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation On The Improvement Of Gait Among The Hemiplegic Patients In Tertiary Care Hospital, Bhubaneswar. - A Pilot Study

Abstract

The proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques such as contract-relax-antagonist-contract and contract-relax have
been adopted by the researchers in the clinical area to investigate their efficacy on hemiplegic patient. This study investigated 4-week
PNF exercise on the gait impaired hemiplegic participants measured with the Visual gait assessment scale- a 3 sectioned scale. Fourteen
male and six female hemiplegic gait impaired participants (mean age 49.1 ± 7.8 years) were recruited into the study and treated for
PNF protocol twice a day for 4 weeks. In the swing phase participants shows having decreased internal rotation (25%) and adduction
(25%) and increased external rotation (47.5%) and abduction (42.5%) in hip and pelvis, normal knee movement (42.5%), and normal
ankle/foot movement (12.5%) in the 4th week of intervention. In the stance phase, the participants show having decreased internal
rotation (27.5%) and adduction (32.5%), increased external rotation (40%), abduction (42.5%) in hip and pelvis, normal knee
movement (10%), normal ankle/foot movement (50%) in the 4th week of intervention. In the late stance phase, the participants show
having decreased internal rotation (30%) and adduction (25%), increased external rotation (30%) and abduction (27.5%) in hip and
pelvis, normal knee movement (32.5%) and normal ankle/foot movement (55%) in the 4th week of intervention. It has been seen, there
is a significant change in excessive internal rotation, excessive external rotation, excessive abduction, excessive adduction, knee
movement, and the ankle/foot movement i.e., p= <0.05. PNF exercise is an effective, easy to apply and potentially risk-free intervention
for hemiplegic patients after stroke patients.