Boxing Training for Upper Limb Functions, Balance, and Quality of Life in Stroke

As most gestures in daily life involve the upper limbs and hands, patients who cannot use their hands not only suffer from severe physical and psychological pain but also encounter difficulties in the activities of daily living that primarily involve upper limb function. Stroke patients have various problems such as asymmetrical posture, abnormal body balance, and decreased ability to move the weight. The loss of motion element involved in fine functions, and the above-mentioned problems can lead to decreased muscle cooperativity of the lower limbs while walking and may also result in an asymmetric gait due to imbalance in the ability to perform the exercise. Due to such persistent disorders, most stroke patients suffer from depression, problems in interpersonal relationships and social life, and a generally lower quality of life. Recent studies on the treatment of stroke patients reported that approaches such as more intensive and repetitive training as compared to conventional general and passive intervention, training related to reality, intervention involving motivation and active participation and forced induction exercise, visual exercise feedback, purpose-oriented training, and task-oriented training are more effective in promoting function after stroke onset. Virtual reality (VR) is frequently used in different disease groups at the clinic for rehabilitation purposes. Xbox Kinect, Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation, and Cyber Glove are among the most commonly used VR applications in rehabilitation. Several studies reported that VR applications improved both upper and lower extremity functions and promoted independence in performing activities of daily living. Task-specific training focused on both upper limbs and lower limbs could have a greater impact in improving mobility and physical activity in individuals with stroke but these studies have very little impact on balance, gait, and quality of life in patients with stroke. Previous studies reported that task-oriented training programs in stroke patients only focus on lower limb and upper limb function. The main barrier or limitation in task-oriented training is the repetition of tasks in an appropriate manner, and most patients lose interest and feel bored and there is less active participation during the performance of similar tasks. This will affect their performance and function and not very much effective intervention for treating stroke patients.

In recent years, it has been observed that boxing therapy has positive outcomes in individuals with neurological diseases. In the literature, the first study, including boxing therapy, was conducted in patients with Parkinson's disease, which concluded that boxing therapy was feasible and reliable for Parkinson's patients. As a form of high-intensity exercise, it is argued that goal-based activities such as boxing can be engaging and accessible for people with chronic diseases. Boxing incorporates high-intensity exercise, with movements of all regions of the body in a weight-bearing and aerobic context. Either non-contact or as a contact sport, boxing movements can be performed in sitting, standing, or as part of dynamic, complex movement sequences. In able-bodied people, high-intensity boxing programs performed for 50-minutes four times per week improved fitness, health, and well-being. The other preliminary on the effects of the sitting boxing program in stroke patients investigated and demonstrated that the sitting boxing program had a positive impact on upper extremity function, balance, gait, and quality of life in stroke patients.

Inclusion criteria

• Both genders
• Age 40-60years
• Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke
• Fugyl Meyer score limit for upper limb:
• Sub-acute and chronic (after 6 weeks)
• Able to sit for 2mints independently

Exclusion criteria

• Cognitive impairment
• Abnormal synergic pattern
• Rheumatoid arthritis or other hand impairments
• Visual Impairment