Biofeedback training to overcome poststroke foot-drop.

ABSTRACT

The technique has exciting potential for elderly hemiplegic patients, even those who are confined to a nursing home. There are limiting factors, of course; the method is time-consuming and the initial outlay for equipment is high. But the rewards can be well worth the time, effort, and cost involved. The recovery potential of some geriatric patients after a cerebrovascular accident may seem bleak because of multiple disabilities, e.g., paralysis, delayed reflexes, aphasia. Fortunately, these disorders do not necessarily decree failure of biofeedback training. Neither does advanced age. The strongest component in success is motivation. A case in point is the 82 year old woman described here who had been hemiparetic for seven years. With biofeedback training, she gained--and maintained--muscle strength.