Guided self-rehabilitation video tool in addition to standard rehabilitation for subacute post-stroke patients with spastic paresis

Introduction/Background Recent studies have shed light on promising recovery in motor command in post-stroke patients with spastic paresis through guided self-rehabilitation (SR). It can enhance the intensity, the number of repetitions and the daily duration of trained movements. Our team developed a SR video tool for subacute post-stroke patients admitted on our ward to be used in addition to their standard rehabilitation program. The main goal was to analyze the number of repetitions by each patient and the time spent doing the self-exercises. Material and method Post-stroke patients eligible for inclusion were recruited between Feb and Dec 2017. Patients were educated by our physiotherapists to use the video tool correctly in their room. A follow-up booklet was provided to note the number of times the exercise was repeated and the time spent doing it. Results were extracted through analysis of each booklet. Results Seven of the 113 stroke patients admitted to our unit were eligible for recruitment. One patient refused to participate and another did not fill his booklet. Results are documented in Table 1 , Table 2 . All 5 patients were able to implement bedside SR, with an average time spent of 32 minutes/day, and an average of 147 exercises/day. Conclusion This was a preliminary study of feasibility. Our results show that SR initiated during hospitalization, in subacute post- stroke patients with spastic paresis, can dramatically increase daily time spent on repetitive trained movements. This tool contributes to increasing patients’ commitment to their rehabilitation program. For the physiotherapist it is an important complimentary asset which easy to integrate into the standard rehabilitation program.