Amresh Kumar1, Surya Prakash Sharma2, Pratiksha Aryal3, Priyank Mohan4
| Corresponding Author: 1Kumar, Sr.Physiotherapist/Northern Railway Central Hospital, New Delhi, India, Mail id: amreshnrch@gmail.com Co Authors: 2Dr. Surya Prakash Sharma, Sr.DMO/Ortho/Northern Railway Central Hospital, New Delhi, India 3BPT Intern, Northern Railway Central Hospital, New Delhi, India 4Priyank Mohan, Sr Physiotherapist/Northern Railway Central Hospital, New Delhi, India |
ABSTRACT
| Background of the study: Globally, spinal problems such as disc herniation, degenerative spondylolisthesis and lumbar spinal stenosis are among the main causes of disability and decreased quality of life. Nerve compression is often relieved, and spinal stability is restored by surgical procedures including lumbar decompression and fixation. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of an un-weighing harness combined with treadmill training in improving gait speed and functional independence in patients who have undergone lumbar decompression and fixation surgery (L2-S1). Methods: A pre-post study design was used with ten patients who had surgery to treat their lumbar decompression. Gait Speed and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores were evaluated on the first and tenth days of therapy. As a component of their post-operative rehabilitation regimen, all individuals engaged in treadmill training with un-weighing harness assistance. T-tests for paired samples were used for statistical analysis. Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed in both the outcome measures. Gait speed increased from a mean of 0.248 m/s to 0.778 m/s (p < 0.001), and FIM scores improved from a mean of 92.00 to 118.80 (p < 0.001). Large effect sizes were recorded for both variables, indicating strong clinical relevance. Conclusion: Following lumbar spine surgery, Un-weighing Harness-assisted treadmill training is a well-received and successful technique that dramatically improves gait speed and functional independence in the early post-operative period. |
Keywords: Body-weight support, Treadmill training, Lumbar surgery, Gait speed, Functional Independence, Rehabilitation, Dynamometer
Leave a Reply