OBJECTIVE To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a knee-ankle-foot orthosis powered by artificial pneumatic muscles (PKAFO). METHODS Twenty-three hemiplegic patients (age, 59.6±13.7 years) were assessed 19.7±36.6 months after brain lesion. The 10-m walking time was measured as a gait parameter while the individual walked on a treadmill. Walking speed (m/s), step cycle (cycle/s), and...

Spasticity or increase in muscle tone is one of the problems following stroke. Due to this increase in muscle tone, patients are confronted to problems in motor control and difficulties in activities of daily living and complications such as shortness and contracture. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of using splint or botulinum toxin injection on spasticity, range of motion and ...

Purpose: Stroke is one of leading causes of neuromuscular disorders that affects the patients’ abilities during standing and walking. Various treatments have been used to restore and improve patients’ stability and reduce falling risks. This study aimed to assess the effect of Kinesio taping on dynamic balance and spasticity in subjects with stroke disorder. Methods: This project w...

BACKGROUND Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, immune-mediated, inflammatory disease that leads to fatigue, pain, and spasticity, as well as other sensorimotor and cognitive changes. Often traditional medical approaches are ineffective in alleviating these disruptive symptoms. Although about one-third of surveyed individuals report they use massage therapy (MT) as an adjunct to medical treatm...

risk response planning is one of the main phases in the project risk management and has major impacts on the success of a large-scale project. since projects are unique, and risks are dynamic through the life of the projects, it is necessary to formulate responses of the important risks. the conventional approaches tend to be less effective in dealing with the impreciseness of risk response pl...

fabrication, characterization and application of micro-/nano-rods/wires are among the hottest topics in materials science and applied physics. micro-/nano-rod-based structures and devices are developed for a wide-ranging use in various fields of micro-/nanoscience (e.g. biology, electronics, medicine, optics, optoelectronics, photonics and sensors). it is well known that the structure and prope...

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of a stretching and strengthening exercise program using an upper extremity robot, as compared with a conventional occupational therapy program for upper extremity spasticity in stroke patients. METHODS Subjects were randomly divided into a robot-assisted therapy (RT) group and a conventional rehabilitation therapy (CT) group. RT group patients received RT ...

Purpose: To develop a continuous passive motion (CPM) device for the passive motion of the paretic ankle-foot and investigate the effect of continuous passive motion of bedridden, hemiparetic acute stroke patients. Methods: 49 patients with stroke were investigated. Results in stroke patients (device group) were compared with those of 15 control subjects (manual group) also with stroke but not ...

OBJECTIVE To identify the effect of serial casting combined with Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection on spastic equinus foot. METHOD Twenty-nine children with cerebral palsy who had equinus foot were recruited from the outpatient clinic of Rehabilitation Medicine. The children were divided into 2 groups, one of which received serial casting after BTX-A injection, and the other which only...