THE EFFECT OF FOOT POSITION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SIT-TO-STAND MOVEMENT IN STROKE SUBJECTS

INTRODUCTION Muscular weaknesses contralateral to the injury side are the most common problems of individuals who had suffered a stroke [1]. These individuals have difficulty in performing functional activities, such as sit-to-stand (STS) from a chair without assistance [2]. During the period of recovery from a stroke, the loading on the affected leg (AL) tends to be spontaneously avoided, leading to difficulties to accomplish the STS movement and, consequently, compromising the individual’s independence [3,4]. Distinct strategies can be used to favor the weight loading on the AL during the STS movement. For instance, the backward positioning of the AL is a strategy commonly employed in clinical practice. However, its effect in improving performance with chronic hemiparetic subjects is still lacking.