The Effect of Task Oriented Exercise and Abdominal Muscle Contraction using FES on Abdominal Muscle Thickness and Balance of Stroke Patients

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of task-oriented exercise and abdominal muscle contraction using functional electrical stimulation (FES) on abdominal muscle thickness and balance of stroke patients. Methods: Ten stroke patients who met the selection criteria were assigned randomly into two groups of five. One group received FES therapy before task-oriented training (experimental group), while the other group received a FES placebo before task-oriented training (control group). The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the groups, and the Wilcoxon Signed-ranks test was used to compare differences between the groups before and after intervention. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the rate changes of each item before and after intervention, between the two groups. Results: In the rectus abdominalis and external oblique muscle thickness tests that used ultrasound, there was a statistically significant difference in the experimental group (p .05). There was also a significant difference between the groups (p .05). Conclusions: FES therapy before task-oriented training increases the thickness of abdominal muscles and improves balance abilities.