Effect of bilateral upper extremity exercise on trunk performance in patients with stroke

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bilateral upper extremity exercises on trunk performance in patients with stroke. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty in-patients with chronic stroke of at least 6 month’s duration participated in this study. Patients in the experimental and control groups received neurological rehabilitation treatment for stroke. In addition to the neurological rehabilitation treatment, patients in the experimental group received 30 minutes of bilateral upper extremity exercises 3 times weekly for 4 weeks. Outcomes were measured using the Trunk Impairment Scale before and after the 4-week training period. [Results] Significant intragroup differences in all items of Trunk Impairment Scale were observed after intervention. In particular, significant intergroup differences were observed for dynamic sitting balance, trunk coordination, and between total scores of the Trunk Impairment Scale. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest bilateral upper extremity exercises could be used in addition to trunk exercises to improve trunk performance in patients with stroke.