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영어

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a functional massage on hamstrings of paretic side on the flexibility and foot pressure balance in stroke patients. Twenty chronic stroke patients were enrolled in the study. The subjects received a hamstrings functional massage for 15 minutes. The hamstring flexibility was measured by performing a passive straight leg raise (PSLR) test. The foot pressure balance was measured the weight distribution ratio on the paretic and non-paretic sides, and front and rear sides using BioRescue. All measurements were performed before and immediately after the functional massage. Changes before and after intervention were analyzed with a paired t-test. And Pearson correlation coefficient was performed to analyze the correlation between hamstring flexibility and foot pressure. As a result, PSLR test significantly increased after the intervention (58.87° to 61.77°, p=.001), and foot pressure balance of paretic and non-paretic sides significantly improved after the intervention (paretic side: 41.07% to 44.66% and non-paretic side: 58.94% to 55.34%, p=.002). In the correlation analysis, there was a moderate correlation between PSLR test and foot pressure balance. These results indicate that a hamstring functional massage on paretic side increases flexibility, which has a positive effect on balance ability in stroke patients.