한국신경근육물리치료학회

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of side walking training (SWT) using sandbags on the balance and walking abilities of stroke patients. The participant was a 72-year-old male diagnosed with a stroke. A single-subject experimental design combining an ABC design and a crossover treatment design (single-subject alternating treatments design) was utilized. The outcome measures included the timed up and go test (TUG) and the modified functional reach test (mFRT) for assessing balance, as well as the 10-meter walk test (10MWT) and the dynamic gait index (DGI) for evaluating walking ability. The intervention consisted of SWT with sandbags applied to the affected leg, incorporating both affected and unaffected side walking. Post-intervention results showed a decrease of 6.17 seconds in TUG, an increase of 3.67 cm in mFRT, a decrease of 7.49 seconds in 10MWT, and an increase of 3 points in DGI. These findings suggest that SWT using sandbags may assist in improving the balance and walking abilities of stroke patients. Further research in this area is warranted.