title: The effect of additional core stability exercises on improving dynamic sitting balance and trunk control for subacute stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of core stability exercises on trunk control, dynamic sitting and standing balance, gait, and activities of daily living in subacute stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inpatient rehabilitation hospital in two centres.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty patients (mean of 23.25 (±16.7) days post-stroke) were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Both groups underwent conventional therapy for five days/week for five weeks and the experimental group performed core stability exercises for 15 min/day. The patients were assessed before and after intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Trunk Impairment Scale (Spanish-Version) and Function in Sitting Test were used to measure the primary outcome of dynamic sitting balance. Secondary outcome measures were standing balance and gait as evaluated via Berg Balance Scale, Tinetti Test, Brunel Balance Assessment, Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke (Spanish-Version), and activities of daily living using Barthel Index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The experimental group showed statistically significant differences for all of the total scale scores (P<0.05), except for the sitting section of the Brunel Balance Assessment. The mean (SD) difference between groups in Trunk Impairment Scale total score was 3.40 (±4.12) points, and its subscale dynamic sitting balance was 2.28 (±3.29). The Berg Balance Scale was 14.54 (±18.19) points, and the Barthel Index was 13.17 (±25.27) points. Collectively, these results were in favour of the experimental group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Core stability exercises in addition to conventional therapy improves trunk control, dynamic sitting balance, standing balance, gait and activities of daily living in subacute post-stroke patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC) Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain rosacabanas@uic.es.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cabanas-Valdés
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC) Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Caritat
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bagur-Calafat
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy (Biostatistics Unit), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girabent-Farrés
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Parc Taulí Sabadell Hospital Universitari, Sabadell, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernanda Mª
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Caballero-Gómez
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, Parc Sanitari Pere Virgili, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hernández-Valiño
authors.affiliation: Centro Cochrane Iberoamericano, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau, CIBERESP, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Urrútia Cuchí
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D060726:Torso; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Hemiplegia; activities of daily living; core stability; stroke; trunk control