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Complementary Health Practice Review, Vol. 10, No. 3, 203-210 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/1533210105285516
© 2005 SAGE Publications

Effects of Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement on Balance in Adults With Chronic Neurological Deficits Following Stroke: A Preliminary Study

Glenna Batson, PT, MA

Program in Physical Therapy, Winston-Salem State University, 601 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27110; batsong{at}wssu.edu,glenna@mindspring.com

Judith E. Deutsch, PhD, PT

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Virtual Environments and Rehabilitation Sciences (RIVERS) lab in the Program in Physical Therapy.

The Feldenkrais Method is a complementary approach to motor learning that purports to induce change in chronic motor behaviors. This preliminary study describes the effects of a Feldenkrais program on balance and quality of life in individuals with chronic neurological deficits following stroke. Two male (48 and 53 years old) and 2 female participants (61 and 62 years old), 1 to 2.5 years poststroke, participated as a group in a 6-week Feldenkrais program. Pretest and posttest evaluations of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), and the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) were administered. Data were analyzed using aWilcoxon signed-rank test. DGI and BBS scores improved an average of 55.2% (p=.033) and 11% (p=.034), respectively. SIS percentage recovery improved 35%. Findings suggest that gains in functional mobility are possible for individuals with chronic stroke using Feldenkrais movement therapy in a group setting.

Key Words: Feldenkrais • balance • stroke • complementary medicine


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