Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Rehabilitation-oriented therapy after a stroke must continue in various forms as a life-long effort.Aim
The study investigated the impact of spa rehabilitation on the quality of life and functional efficiency in patients after an ischemic stroke at a chronic stage of recovery.Methods
The assessment was carried out in a spa resort in southeastern Poland. It involved 32 patients with strokes who participated in a three-week rehabilitation program. Three examinations were performed: upon admission, on the day of discharge and at a two-month follow-up. The quality of life and functional efficiency were assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF and Barthel Index.Results
The quality of life was significantly higher in Exam II compared with Exam I (p < 0.001), and improvement was retained at the follow-up. The Barthel scores were higher in Exam II compared with Exam I (79.84 vs. 68.59), while the differences between the scores in Exams II and III were small (p = 0.039).Conclusions
Three-week spa rehabilitation seems to favorably affect the functional efficiency and quality of life after a stroke. The effects appear to be long-term. The gender, age and time from stroke onset do not seem to impact short-term effects. However, long-term effects are related to the time from stroke onset.
SUBMITTER: Pniak B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8071377 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature