title: Prone positioning reduces severe pushing behavior: three case studies.
abstract: [Purpose] Pushing behavior is classically described as a disorder of body orientation in the coronal plane. Most interventions for pushing behavior have focused on correcting the deviation in vertical perception. However, pushing behavior seems to involve erroneous movements associated with excessive motor output by the non-paretic limbs and trunk. The present study aimed to inhibit muscular hyper-activity by placing the non-paretic limbs and trunk in the prone position. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects of the present study were 3 acute stroke patients with severe pushing behavior. The study consisted of the following 3 phases: baseline, intervention, and follow-up. In addition to conventional therapy, patients received relaxation therapy in the prone position for 10 minutes a day over 2 days. The severity of pushing behavior was assessed using the scale for contraversive pushing, and truncal balance was evaluated using the trunk control test. These assessments were performed before and after the baseline phase, and after the intervention and follow-up phases. [Results] At the baseline phase, both scores were poor. Both scores improved after the intervention and follow-up phases, and all the patients could sit independently. [Conclusion] Relaxation therapy in the prone position might ameliorate pushing behavior and impaired truncal balance.
authors: Department of Rehabilitation, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Japan.
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Fujino
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan.
authors: Kazu
authors: K
authors: Amimoto
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Tokyo Health Sciences, Japan.
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Sugimoto
authors: Department of Rehabilitation, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Japan.
authors: Kazuhiro
authors: K
authors: Fukata
authors: Department of Rehabilitation, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Japan.
authors: Masahide
authors: M
authors: Inoue
authors: Department of Rehabilitation, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Japan.
authors: Hidetoshi
authors: H
authors: Takahashi
authors: Department of Rehabilitation, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Japan.
authors: Shigeru
authors: S
authors: Makita
keywords: Prone position; Pushing behavior; Relaxation