title: Six-Week Nordic Treadmill Training Compared with Treadmill Training on Balance, Gait, and Activities of Daily Living for Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, stroke rehabilitation training programs have contained elements of sporting activities. Arm swing is a particularly important factor in gait; accordingly, the use of the Nordic walking exercise has been advocated in the literature.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our objective is to compare the effects of Nordic treadmill training (NTT) and treadmill training (TT) on balance, gait, and activities of daily living (ADL) in stroke patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty stroke patients were randomly allocated to NTT and TT groups. NTT and TT were performed for 30 minutes each day, 5 times per week for 6 weeks. The Berg Balance Scale, the timed up and go test, and the tetra-ataxiometric posturography tests were used to assess balance; the 10-meter walk test, 6-minute walk test, and modified Barthel Index were used to measure balance, gait, and ADL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 6 weeks of training, balance, gait, and ADL improved significantly in both groups, but NTT was associated with greater improvements compared to TT for all 3 measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first to assess the effects of NTT on balance, gait, and ADL in stroke patients. The data indicate that NTT represents an effective adjunctive treatment to TT in this population.
authors.affiliation: Applied Kinesiology and Ergonomic Technology Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Yonsei University, Kangwon-do, South Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Woo
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Applied Kinesiology and Ergonomic Technology Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Yonsei University, Kangwon-do, South Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Applied Kinesiology and Ergonomic Technology Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Yonsei University, Kangwon-do, South Korea. Electronic address: cynn@yonsei.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Heon-Seock
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Cynn
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Nordic treadmill walking training; stroke; traditional; treadmill walking training