Task-Specific Treadmill Training Versus Conventional Gait Therapy After Stroke
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Corresponding Author: Thomas J, Doctus Journal of Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation.
Abstract
We randomised 96 patients in the subacute phase after ischaemic stroke to task-specific treadmill training with partial body weight support or to conventional overground gait therapy, matched for contact time over eight weeks. The treadmill group achieved greater gains in comfortable walking speed and six-minute walk distance, with the difference concentrated in patients whose baseline speed was below 0.4 m/s. Balance confidence improved similarly in both arms. No adverse events were attributable to either protocol. Where equipment is available, treadmill training offers the larger benefit for the slowest walkers, while conventional therapy remains an adequate alternative for better-ambulating patients.
Keywords
Stroke Rehabilitation; Gait Training; Body Weight Support; Walking Speed; Six-Minute Walk; Randomised Trial
How to Cite
Thomas J and Fernandes L. “Task-Specific Treadmill Training Versus Conventional Gait Therapy After Stroke”. Doctus Journal of Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation 1.1 (2026): 23-38.
Copyright and Licence
© 2026 Thomas J. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.