earticle

영어

This study aimed to identify the effects of trunk stabilization exercise using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques on pulmonary function, balance, and walking speed in a patient with subacute stroke. This study employed a single-subject experimental design. A female patient with right hemiplegia, aged 62, with subacute stroke participated in this study. The intervention involved trunk stabilization exercises using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques, with ten sessions conducted during the intervention phase, each lasting 50 minutes daily. Before and after the intervention phase, the baseline and follow-up phases included five sessions without intervention. Outcome measures included pulmonary function, such as forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), Berg balance scale (BBS), and a 10-meter walk test (10MWT). During the intervention phase, the FVC and FEV1 scores improved compared to the baseline phase (FVC: 1.21ℓ to 1.61ℓ, and FEV1: 1.03ℓ to 1.28ℓ), and these gains were maintained during the follow-up phase. Furthermore, after the intervention phase, the BBS and 10MWT scores improved by 54.84% (31 scores to 48 scores) and 63.93% (0.61m/s to 1.00m/s), respectively. The findings suggest that a trunk stabilization exercise using the PNF techniques may be favorably used to improve pulmonary function, balance, and walking speed in patients with subacute stroke. Further studies with robust designs must be continued to validate our results.