Basic exercises could benefit stroke survivors

STROKE survivors could benefit from a simple inexpensive exercise programme.

This is according to a published Stellenbosch University study by Tania Zastron, who recently obtained a doctorate in Sport Science.

She set out to develop a costeffective and simple task-specific eight-week sensory-motor training (SMT) programme.

This was to determine whether exercise could improve the connectivity strength between different affected areas of the brain as well as functional recovery in chronic stroke survivors.

“One of the ways to achieve this is through sensory-motor exercises that can induce the functional recovery in chronic stroke survivors and improve their brain’s ability to reorganise itself in response to sensory input, experience and learning,” said Zastron.

She said survivors needed lifelong support, which could be very expensive.

It is important to help them perform physical activities on their own as this will improve their quality of life and ability to do everyday tasks, said Zastron.

For her study, 22 participants with an average age of 70 completed three 45- to 60-minute sessions each week over the eight-week period.

Zastron randomly divided them into two groups, i.e. an SMT group and an attention-matched control group (Con).

The Con group was used to ensure the results found in the experimental group were not merely because they received some form of attention.

Both interventions were delivered by experienced biokineticists at centres close to the participants’ homes.

Zastron said participants in the SMT group did balance exercises which included, among other things, head nods, trunk leans, reaching, catching, throwing, single leg stance, weight shifting, walking (normal, high knees, butt kicks, sideways, backwards) and tandem walking.

“Participants showed improved postural sway or balance when standing on a foam pad with their eyes open, reduced somatosensory dependence, improved turning performance while walking, as well as improvements in perceived physical and social functioning. Their fear of falling also decreased,” she said.

“Overall, the SMT programme led to a higher perceived level of physical functioning, which in turn increased the participants’ self-efficacy and created a state of improved functioning in daily living and overall well-being.”

Zastron added that apart from stroke survivors, people with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases could also benefit from her training programme.