Postural sway during cane use by patients with stroke

Objective: To quantitatively evaluate the effects of body support with a cane on postural sway by measuring gravity-center sway of patients with stroke who reside at home. Design: The subjects were 41 patients with stroke and 36 healthy independent elderly people. Each subject stood in the standard Romberg position on a gravicorder under two conditions: without support and with a cane. Results: In both groups, the largest area of gravity-center sway occurred when the subjects stood without support. The area of gravity-center sway of the patients with stroke was significantly greater than that of the healthy independent elderly. In the patients with stroke group, the percentage decrease in the standing position with the cane was 58.0% in the men and 53.9% in the women, as opposed to 67.7% in the men and 67.8% in the women in the group of healthy independent elderly. Conclusion: The authors quantitatively evaluated the effects of body support with a cane on postural sway of patients with stroke. The effect of body support with cane on postural sway of patients with stroke was more effective than that of healthy independent elderly.