Group physiotherapy for hemiplegic or hemiparetic patients with middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke

Tratamento fisioterápico em grupo para pacientes hemiplégicos ou hemiparéticos por acidente vascular cerebral isquémico no território da arteria cerebral média

THESES

Group physiotherapy for hemiplegic or hemiparetic patients with middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke (abstract)^*

Tratamento fisioterápico em grupo para pacientes hemiplégicos ou hemiparéticos por acidente vascular cerebral isquémico no território da arteria cerebral média (resumo)

Sissy Veloso Fontes^**

Group physiotherapy for hemiplegic or hemiparetic patients with middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke (abstract). Thesis. São Paulo, 1996.

In some parts of the world, stroke is considered the main cause of chronic handicaps caused by neurologic disease. And it gives rise to an economic impact unfavourably high. Thus we found that studies on physical rehabilitation programs must be done, since they are considered the best set of therapeutics for motor disabilities resulting from stroke.

These programs should be more effective, less expensive and also allow the inclusion of this kind of treatment for stroke patients in low economic power services of great demand. In some studies we found that the physical therapy in group of patients might be a method consistent of the needs mentioned above.

So, we made physical therapy in groups of three or more patients each, in 70 stroke patients all of them with middle cerebral artery infarct - 50 walked and 20 did not walk in the beginning of treatment. The physical therapy in group was applied for three months. They all started treatment in acute phase of stroke.

The results obtained after the physical therapy in group were analysed through both: 1 .The following measure tools: the Barthel Index, the Rivermead Mobility Index, the Canadian Neurological Scale, the Orgogozo Unifed Form for Neurological Stroke Scales, Motricity Index. 2.The notes about: the relative's participation in the rehabilitation program; both the patient's and the relative's understanding of the disease; the adherence to the clinical treatment and physical therapy; the patient's expectation of a good quality of life and the patient's interaction with both his family and society.

The results suggest that this kind of treatment may be good for public health services. This therapy was not sufficient for those who did not walk, perhaps because of the short time of therapy. This mean that they were not adapted to the daily living activity after the threrapy. However, to most of the walking patients, the physical therapy in group was enough.

Key words: group physiotherapy, stroke, hemiplegic patients.

*

Tese de Mestrado, Escola Paulista de Medicina - Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Área: Neurociências). Orientador: José Geraldo de Camargo Lima; co-orientador: José Osmar Cardeal.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  21 Oct 2010
• Date of issue
  1997