Effects of a Walking Intervention With Additional Weights on the Unaffected Leg in People After Stroke

Improve walking ability in people after stroke is a key objective for rehabilitation. Once the rehabilitation period is finished, a reduction of functional and motor abilities is often observed in subjects when they returned home.

This study will examine if loading daily the non paretic leg with additional weights will improve walking abilities. This study will enroll 100 people who had a stroke > three months and < five years and who still experienced difficulties for walking.

Each patient will receive 3 months of intervention targeting their non affected leg. Half of the subjects will have to wear braces with additional weights at the non affected ankle during the day ( > 6 hours), while the other half will wear a similar brace but without weight.

A six minutes walking test will be given before and after the intervention, as well six and twelve months later to measure the effect of these interventions. The investigators hypothesize that people receiving the additional weights to the non paretic leg will show greater improvements in their walk abilities.

Inclusion criteria

• Hemiparesis following ischemic or hemorrhagic infarct of a single hemisphere
• First episode of stroke experienced > 3 months and < 5 years prior to study enrolment
• Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC) score > 3 < 8
• Be able to walk few meters without physical assistance
• Able to understand and follow instructions

Exclusion criteria

• Following inpatient physical rehabilitation
• Experienced more than 2 falls during 3 months prior inclusion
• Signs of bilateral impairments
• Daily use of a wheelchair to move
• Contra-indications for daily walk
• Currently participating in any clinical trial with a experimental walking intervention
• Severe arthrosis
• Dementia