PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to compare the effect of underwater and overground treadmill walking, which affect gait pattern and muscle strength in people with hemiparesis following a stroke. SUBJECTS: Twenty chronic stroke patients were included in this study. METHODS: The subjects were randomly allocated to one of two groups, the underwater treadmill walking (UTW) and overground treadmill walking (OTW) groups. The amount of weight the subjects exerted on the foot on the affected side, as well as the joint angle values and muscle strengths on the affected side, were measured. Intervention was performed 4 times per week, and each session lasted 30 minutes. RESULTS: It was shown that the weight exerted on both the entire foot and hindfoot increased more in the UTW group than in the OTW group. However, the weight put on the forefoot was not found to increase for either group. In terms of the joint angle values, the angle between the hip and the knee showed a greater increase in the UTW group than in the OTW group. In contrast, the ankle joint angle did not show significant change in either of the groups. Muscle strength showed a similar increase in both groups. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that after a stroke underwater treadmill walking has a more positive effect on gait pattern than overground treadmill walking.

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