Effect of Wobble Board Exercises Versus Swiss Ball Exercises on Balance and Functional Stability of Stroke Patients

Summary

A stroke is characterized as a condition in which the brain's main arteries get clogged, reducing oxygen flow and potentially leading to death or severe disability. There are various types of strokes, such as transient ischemic attack (TIA), hemorrhagic stroke, and ischemic stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke is the most prevalent kind among them Strokes frequently alter postural balance. Balance is a complicated process that involves both static and dynamic elements. It significantly influences gait performance and community ambulation after strokes. Balance impairment is a common cause of falls in stroke survivors.

Post-stroke recovery is related to loss of control of one's body posture, uneven weight distribution, and lack of anticipatory and reactive balance, which hinder movement in the community and severely affect one's quality of life. The loss of balance is one of the major problems that stroke patients have to deal with and is considered the most serious part of the illness. Medically, it is characterized as the result of multiple factors such as: i) damage to brain areas responsible for processing vestibular input, ii) blockage for proprioceptive feedback, iii) poor coordination among the different brain regions involved in motor planning and execution and visual feedback. These factors, in turn, and together, block the person's body from moving stably during static and dynamic activities. More than 70% of stroke patients develop significant balance problems within the first year of the stroke and such problems, besides other factors, are the reason for the high occurrence of falls among them. Reports indicate that the fall rate in the stroke population is more than double that in the non-disabled elderly.

Conditions

• Stroke

Interventions

OTHER

Wobble Board Exercises

Duration: 10 minutes per session Frequency: 3 sessions per week Objective: Establish foundational balance in standing for mild-to-moderate spasticity levels. Exercises: * Static Standing: Participants stand on the wobble board with assistance as needed to develop balance without causing undue strain on spastic muscles. * Gentle Weight Shifts: Controlled side-to-side and front-to-back shifts (10-15 repetitions) for proprioception and core activation, adjusted to individual spasticity levels. Duration: 25 minutes per session Frequency: 3 sessions per week Objective: Gradual increase in static balance exercises to enhance postural control without exceeding tolerance levels. Exercises: * Static Balance Drills: Standing on the wobble board with increasing independence, focusing on postural alignment and balance. * Heel-to-Toe Walking: Slow, controlled steps (10 repetitions) on a stable surface to promote coordination and foot placement control. * Controlled Weight Shifts:

OTHER

Swiss Ball Exercises

Duration: 10 minutes per session Frequency: 3 sessions per week Objective: Build initial seated balance and core activation on the Swiss ball. Exercises: * Seated Balance: Sitting on Swiss ball to activate the core without overstressing spastic or weak muscles. * Gentle Bouncing: Slow, controlled bounces (10-15 repetitions) to improve dynamic seated stability within a safe range for those with mild to moderate spasticity Duration: 25 minutes per session Frequency: 3 sessions per week Objective: Increase core stability and seated balance while avoiding excessive muscle fatigue. Exercises: * Seated Balance Drills: Static seated balance drills to reinforce postural control. * Pelvic Tilts: Gentle, slow tilts (10 repetitions per side) to engage core stabilizers without excessive hip muscle strain. * Simple Reaches: Reaching exercises (10 repetitions per direction) that challenge seated stability in a controlled range of motion. Duration: 30 minutes per session

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sobia Kanwal, tDPT · Riphah International University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

40 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-02-28

Primary Completion

2026-06-30

Completion

2026-08-30