Author(s)

Stella Fotiadou¹, Ioannis Kouroumichakis², Thomas Besios³, Nikolaos Papanas⁴, Erasmia Giannakou¹, Vassilis Gourgoulis¹, Nikolaos Aggeloussis¹

¹Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece.
²Internal Medicine, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
³Department of Physical Therapy, University of Thessaly, Lamia, Greece.
⁴Second Department of Internal Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece.

We describe the effects of an exercise programme based on the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association guidelines for stroke patients on gait mechanics in a patient with severe gait disorder due to chronic ischaemic stroke. A 74-year-old female patient, with right hemiparesis as a result of a stroke attack before 18 months followed an 8-week exercise programme, consisting of three hourly sessions per week. Patient’s gait mechanics were evaluated before and after the intervention using a three-dimensional gait analysis system, with six infrared cameras, two force plates, and an electronic timing system. Exercise led to increase of spatial and decrease of temporal gait parameters, increase of joint range of motion and lower limb muscle powers during the entire gait cycle and increase of the moments in the support phase. In conclusion, exercise had a positive effect on this patient’s gait pattern and improved her functionality.

Exercise, Gait Analysis, Rehabilitation, Stroke

Fotiadou, S. , Kouroumichakis, I. , Besios, T. , Papanas, N. , Giannakou, E. , Gourgoulis, V. and Aggeloussis, N. (2019) Effect of Exercise on Gait Mechanics in a Patient with Severe Gait Disorder Due to Chronic Ischaemic Stroke: A Case Study. Neuroscience and Medicine, 10, 323-330. doi: 10.4236/nm.2019.104023.