earticle

영어

Purpose: The purpose of this case study was to examine the effects of an intervention based on the concept of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on the weight-supporting ability, fear of falling, and stair-walking ability of stroke patients. Methods: One pretest, three intervention sessions, and one posttest were conducted. In the tests, weight-supporting ability, manual muscle strength, the fear of falling, and the time to go up and down a ‘ㄱ’-shaped stair-walking machine were measured and compared. The intervention was implemented for 30 minutes per day for three days in combination with general rehabilitation. The intervention was planned and implemented based on the concept of PNF, and the goal was for the subjects, after their consent, to walk backward down the stairs. Results: After the intervention, functional improvement was seen in weight-supporting ability and the fear of falling felt when walking down the stairs. Whereas the subjects could not perform the task of walking down the stairs on the ‘ㄱ’-shaped stair-walking machine in the pretest, they could perform the task in the posttest, and their stair-climbing speed was greater than before the intervention. Conclusion: This study verified that a PNF-based intervention can improve stroke patients’ weight- supporting ability and stair-walking ability. Therefore, this intervention can be clinically applied to stroke patients.