Effect of a Freudenstein’s Method Orthosis on Balance, Gait and Activities of Daily Living in Chronic Stroke Patients: a Randomized Controlled Study

INTERVENTION: Medical Device : All participants received the intervention for 40 minutes per session, 6 times a week, for 4 weeks. The experimental group (FMO group) performed treadmill gait training while wearing an orthosis fabricated by applying Freudenstein's method, and the control group (UD fle Xgroup) performed the same treadmill gait training while wearing UD flex. Both groups received 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy and 10 minutes of treadmill gait training in each session. The conventional physiotherapy consisted of joint mobilization of the affected side, strengthening exercises, sitting balance training, standing balance training, and gait training. The treadmill speed was set to a speed at which the participant could walk comfortably. CONDITION: Diseases of the nervous system PRIMARY OUTCOME: Balance ability Gait ability SECONDARY OUTCOME: Activities of Daily Living Performance Falls Efficacy INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1) diagnosis of stroke with foot drop, 2) stroke onset = 6 months prior, 3) ability to walk at least 10 m independently or with assistive devices, 4) MAS score of 1 to 1+, 5) Korean Mini‐Mental State Examination (K‐MMSE) score = 24, 6) ability to understand the study and provide informed consent.