| Objective: To explore the effect of underwater treadmill exercise on the balance function of patients in the subacute stage and its possible mechanism. Methods: From July 2021 to January 2022, 34 patients with hemiplegia who had the first onset at the China Rehabilitation Research Center were randomly selected. Among them, 17 patients in the experimental group received underwater treadmill exercise and land exercise training, and 17 patients in the control group received land exercise training. A total of 13 healthy young men were randomly selected as the control group. Before and 4 weeks after the treatment, the Berg balance scale scores, the thickness of the transverse abdominis muscle on both sides, the thickness of the rectus femoris muscle of the affected lower limb, the thickness of the tibialis anterior muscle, and the thickness of the gastrocnemius muscle were measured, and the thickness ratio of the transverse abdominis muscle, rectus femoris muscle, tibialis anterior muscle, gastrocnemius muscle were calculated. The thickness ratio of the main anti-gravity muscles of the lower extremity on the affected side was compared.The parametric data of abdominal transverse muscle thickness and BBS score were analyzed by parametric test; thickness ratio of abdominal transverse muscle and that of main anti-gravity muscle group of lower limbs by non-parametric test, and post-test score of BBS and thickness ratio of lower limb anti-gravity muscle group by bivariate non-parametric correlation analysis. Results: After 4 weeks of treatment, the thickness of transverse abdominis and BBS scores were significantly higher than before (allP<0.01); the transverse abdominal muscle thickness of affected side in experimental group was significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05). Before treatment, the thickness ratio of transverse abdominis in 2 groups of patients were lower than those in the healthy group (all P<0.05). After treatment, there was no significant difference in thickness ratio of transverse abdominis ammg 3 groups Com-. pared with the control group, the thickening ration of the major muscles of affected lower limbs in the experimental group was significantly increased (all P<0.05), the thickening ratio of rectus femoris was negatively correlated with the thickening ratio of tibialis anterior and lateral gastrocnemius in experimental group(P＜0.05)，the thickening ratio of tibialis anterior muscle and lateral gastrocnemius muscle was positively correlated (P＜0.05), and there was no significant correlation between BBS score and the thickening ratio of lower extremity muscles in the two groups .Conclusion: Underwater treadmill exercise can improve the balance function of patients with hemiplegia, increase the thickness of the transverse abdominis muscle on the affected sides, improve the shape of transverse abdominis muscle, enhance the strength of the main anti-gravity muscles of the lower limbs, and ameliorate the gait. |
