Stability of Hemiparetic Patients During a Daily Complex Task

Among the repercussions of hemiparesis following stroke, disturbed stability is responsible for a high risk of falls. Picking up objects from the ground, frequently trained in rehabilitation due to its risk of falling and its frequency in daily life, is a task requiring balance. To date, however, it has been little studied. We suggest that stability conditions the asymmetry adopted by patients. We hypothesise that asymmetric support at the expense of the paretic lower limb provides better stability during an unstable functional task (picking up an object from the ground) compared with the symmetrical support traditionally imposed in rehabilitation.

Postural control involves stability (maintaining balance despite constraints) and orientation (posture adopted, such as the distribution of supports). Hemiparetic patients show a lack of stability and, with regard to orientation, an asymmetry in the distribution of body weight to the detriment of the paretic limb. Symmetrisation of weight distribution has been one of the predominant concepts in rehabilitation.