Role of repetitive facilitation exercises in functional improvement of upper limb in stroke patients as compare to conventional rehabilitation

OBJECTIVE: To find the role of Repetitive facilitative exercises in functional improvement of upper limb in stroke patients as compare to conventional rehabilitation. METHODOLOGY: 26 patients fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in this study. Outcome or efficacy was measured by using University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) scoring system, a 35 point scale. The items measured included Pain (10 points), Function (10 points), Active forward flexion (5 points), strength of forward flexion (5 points) and patient satisfaction (5 points). A score of 34-35 is considered an excellent score, 28-33 a good result, and any score less than 27 a poor result. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: We found that overall pain improved from baseline to last follow up (p-value < 0.05) with non-significant difference in both study groups (p-value>0.05). Our investigation also led us to conclude that function of patients improved from baseline to last follow up (p-value < 0.05) with non-significant difference in both study groups (p-value>0.05). Moreover similar statistics regarding active forward flexion are found i.e. overall active forward flexion and strength of forward flexion was improved from baseline to last follow up (p-value < 0.05) with non-significant difference in both study groups (p-value>0.05). Patient’s satisfaction was improved from baseline to last follow up (p-value < 0.05). The group B had more satisfaction as compare to group A (p-value < 0.05). The group B had more UCLA score as compare to group A (p-value < 0.05). In group A efficacy of treatment was observed in 1 (7.7%) patient only while in group B the efficacy of treatment was seen in 8 (61.53%) patients. Group B had statistically and significantly higher efficacy as compare to group-A, p-value < 0.05.