Introduction: A large proportion of patients with chronic stroke have permanent lower limb functional disability leading to reduced levels of independent mobility. Individually, both mirror therapy and treadmill training have been shown to improve aspects of lower limb functioning in patients with stroke. This case report examined whether a new combination of both interventions would lead to improvements in lower limb functional disability for a patient with chronic stroke.
Case description: The participant was a 50-year-old female who had a left middle cerebral artery infarction (47 months' post stroke). Due to hemiparesis, she had lower limb motor impairment and gait deficits.
Intervention: The participant engaged in a combination of mirror therapy and treadmill training for 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week, for 4 weeks.
Outcomes: Modified Ashworth Scale, Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Lower Extremity and the 10 m Walk Test demonstrated clinically meaningful change. The 6 Minute Walk Test did not demonstrate meaningful change.
Discussion: The positive outcomes from this new combination therapy for this participant are encouraging given the relatively small dose of training and indicate the potential benefit of mirror therapy as an adjunct to treadmill training for enhancing lower limb muscle tone, motor function and walking velocity in patients with chronic stroke.
Keywords: Stroke; mirror therapy; treadmill training.