ABSTRACT

Background and Objective: Functional recovery and motor control is one of the major causes of concern in stroke patients with performing activities of daily living. Upper limb impairment affects the performance of many activities of daily living. Our major objective of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of the individual and combined effect of Bobath technique and motor relearning program to improve upper limb functional recovery and motor control in stroke patients.

Methods: A random sampling method is used to select patients with Right MCA stroke. Thirty patients were included and randomly divided into three groups by using lottery method, with ten in each group A, B and C. Group A, B and C had underwent MRP, Bobath and combined of these two techniques respectively. The outcomes are measured by the Modified Ashworth Scale(MAS), Stroke Rehabilitation Assessment of Movement(STREAM) and Fugal Meyer scale to find the outcome on spasticity, voluntary control and functional recovery of the upper limb in stroke patients.

Results: Intra group analysis was done by Wilcoxon rank test. In intra group analysis, of Group A showed improvement in voluntary control & spasticity with p<0.005 but no significant improvement found in functional activities. Group B & C showed significant reduction in spasticity, improvement in voluntary control & functional recovery with p<0.005.

Conclusion: The present study concluded that individual effect of motor relearning program is more effective than Bobath technique but the combined effect of these two techniques are more effective than the individual effect in the functional recovery of the upper limb in the right MCA stroke patients.

Keywords: MCA, Stroke, Bobath technique, MRP, FMS, STREAM, MAS