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M.W. Agoriwo1, T. Abu-Appiah1, M.K. Bonsu1, A. Adum1
1University of Health and Allied Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, Ho, Ghana
Background: Stroke survivors are often faced with significant morbidity as well as physical, cognitive, social and emotional effects. Physiotherapy plays a key role in stroke rehabilitation by focusing on recovery of physical function and enhancement of independent living. With literature on disability and rehabilitation evolving, physiotherapists are able to use modern interventions to assist with the rehabilitation of patients with stroke. However, there is dearth of literature on the interventions utilized by Ghanaian physiotherapists in the management of persons with stroke.
Purpose: This study sought to assess the physiotherapy approaches and interventions used in post-stroke rehabilitation in Ghana.
Methods: A quantitative study design in the form of an online cross-sectional survey was employed in this research. A standardized questionnaire developed by Natarajan et al., (2008) was adapted and piloted to fit the scope of the study. The questionnaire was structured in four sections with 44-items; 1) demographic information, 2) aims of treatment, 3) physiotherapy treatment approaches, and 4) physiotherapy interventions. The study participants were physiotherapists members of the Ghana Physiotherapy Association (GPA). The link to the online survey was emailed to the participants and two reminders sent at one week interval over a period of three weeks. Data collected was analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 software and the results were summarized with tables and figures. Ethical approval was obtained from the Research and Ethics Committee of the University of Health and Allied Sciences. Permission was also sought from the GPA executives and consent obtained from the participants prior to the conduct of the study.
Results: Seventy physiotherapists responded (n=70/230; 31%) to the survey with 42 (60%) males and 28 (40%) females. Majority of the physiotherapists worked at district (45.7%) and teaching (27.1%) hospitals with 1-20 years clinical experience, and possessed Bachelor’s (75.7%) or Master’s (15.7%) degrees. The common aims for post-stroke physiotherapy interventions reported by 69.6% of the physiotherapists were restoring function through adaptation, prevention of secondary complications (68.1%), encourage self-management (66.2%), re-educate normal functioning and prevent falls (63.8%). Most of the physiotherapists (83.8%) used Proprioception Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) treatment approach among Bobath therapy (70.6%), constraint induced movement therapy (61.8%), and Carr and Shepherd treatment approach (25%). The most widely used physiotherapy interventions reported by 98.6% of the respondents included education, home exercise programs (91.4%), early mobilization techniques (91.3%), strengthening exercises (90%), Gait training (overground walking) (88.2%), arm function training (87.1%), and balance training (82.9%). Less than 50% of the physiotherapists used treadmill walking (18.6%), stairs climbing (44.3%), quadriceps bench exercise (33.3%), ergonomic cycling (35.7%), splinting (4.3%) and Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) (13%) in managing persons with stroke.
Conclusions: Majority of the participating physiotherapists utilized evidence-based approaches in post-stroke rehabilitation. However, further studies are required to explore the effectiveness of these interventions for persons with stroke in Ghana.
Implications: Physiotherapists are encouraged to continue using evidence-based interventions in managing persons with stroke while equipping themselves with additional clinical skills in least used approaches and physiotherapy interventions which are also effective in post-stroke rehabilitation.
Funding acknowledgements: No funding
Keywords:
Stroke
Physiotherapy
Intervention
Stroke
Physiotherapy
Intervention
Topics:
Neurology: stroke
Neurology: stroke
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: University of Health and Allied Sciences, UHAS
Committee: Research and Ethics Committee of UHAS
Ethics number: UHAS-REC A.1 [3] 21-22
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
