Combined Effects of Rhythmic Breathing and Balance Training on Balance and Trunk Control in Stroke Patients

Combined Effects of Rhythmic Breathing Exercises and Balance Training on Balance and Trunk Control in Patients With Stroke

The goal of this study is to evaluate the combined effects of rhythmic breathing and balance training on balance, trunk control and postural control in patients with sub-acute stroke. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Will there be a difference in combined effects of rhythmic breathing exercises and balance training on balance and trunk control in patients with stroke?
• Will there be no difference in combined effects of rhythmic breathing exercises and balance training on balance and trunk control in patients with stroke? The participants will be evenly divided into two groups,
• the experimental group will receive rhythmic breathing exercises along with balance training and conventional physical therapy
• the control group will only receive balance training and physical therapy. Both the groups will perform their respective exercises for 60 minutes, 3 days a week for consecutive 8 weeks.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the combined effects of rhythmic breathing and balance training on balance, trunk control and postural control in sub-acute stroke patients. It will be a single blinded randomized controlled trial. Non-probability convenience sampling will be used to recruit 50 patients aged 45-65 years from Dr. Faisal Masood Teaching Hospital Sargodha. Through the computerized generator table method of randomization, the allocated patients will be evenly divided into two groups, the experimental group undergoing Rhythmic Breathing exercises along with Balance training and conventional physical therapy and the control group only balance training and physical therapy. Both the groups will perform their respective exercises for 60 minutes 3 days a week for consecutive 8 weeks. The stroke patients will be assessed at the baseline and post intervention with outcome measuring tools. Balance will be assessed through Berg Balance Scale (BBS), trunk control will be assessed through Trunk Impairment Scale(TIS), and postural control will be assessed through Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke (PASS). Data will be analyzed in SPSS version 27.0.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 45-65 years old
• Either gender
• Sub-acute stroke (3-6months)
• The cognition level of patient according to Mini Mental Score Examination will be >24
• The trunk control of patient based on Trunk Impairment score is 20 or less than 23
• First-ever ischemic stroke
• Ability to tolerate at least 60 min exercise according to berg scale scoring less than 8
• Agree to sign the written informed consents

Exclusion Criteria:

• • Severe visual hemianopsia

  • Acute diseases of the heart, brain, kidney and other organs
  • Sensory neuropathy such as diabetic neuropathy
  • Balance dysfunction due to other neurological disorders