IMPACT OF GAIT TRAINING ON LOWER EXTREMITY MOTOR FUNCTION AND BALANCE PERFORMANCE IN STROKE SURVIVORS

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a common cause of long-term disability globally, which frequently follows with impairments in gait, balance, and lower limb motor function. Successful rehabilitation interventions are essential in order to restore mobility and functional independence in stroke survivors. Objectives: To compare the impact of three interventions of physiotherapy gait training with Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF), gait training with conventional therapy, and combined PNF-conventional therapy on lower limb motor function, gait ability, balance, and functional independence in stroke patients. Methods: A randomised clinical trial was conducted at Sehat Medical Complex, Lahore, involving 99 post-stroke participants (33 per group). Interventions were delivered three times weekly for six weeks. Standardised outcome measures included the Wisconsin Gait Scale (WGS), Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Lower Extremity (FMA-LE), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Data were analysed using a repeated-measures ANOVA and non-parametric tests where appropriate. Results: All groups demonstrated statistically significant within-group improvements across all outcome measures (p < 0.001). Between-group comparisons revealed that the PNF-gait training group achieved the most pronounced enhancements in gait quality, motor function, and balance, reflected by higher FMA-LE and BBS scores at six weeks. Conclusion: The integration of PNF with structured gait training leads to superior gains in lower limb recovery and postural control compared with conventional physiotherapy alone. These findings emphasise the importance of combining facilitation-based and task-specific interventions in post-stroke rehabilitation, warranting validation in larger, multi-centre trials with long-term follow-up.