Changes in Gait Characteristics of Stroke Patients with Foot Drop after the Combination Treatment of Foot Drop Stimulator and Moving Treadmill Training.

Objective: To study the changes in gait characteristics of stroke patients with foot drop after the combination treatment of foot drop stimulator and moving treadmill training and thus provide a basis for the improvement in a foot drop gait after stroke. Methods: Sixty patients with hemiplegia and foot drop caused by stroke were randomly divided into two groups of 30: the test group and the control group. Both groups received basic rehabilitation training. On this basis, the test group received the combination treatment of foot drop stimulator and moving treadmill training. The control group received foot drop stimulator training. Both groups received consecutive treatment for 3 weeks, five times a week, and every single time lasted for 30 minutes. Before and after the treatment, a gait watch three-dimensional gait analysis system was used to measure and record the maximum angles of flexion of the affected side's hip, knee, and ankle; the pace; the step length asymmetry; the iEMG of the tibialis anterior muscle; the functional ambulation category; and Ashworth's modified spasticity classification of the gastrocnemius. Results: After treatment, in the two groups, the maximum angles of flexion of the affected side's hip, knee, and ankle improved, the pace increased, the step length asymmetry decreased, the iEMG of the tibialis anterior muscle increased, the functional ambulation category improved, and Ashworth's modified spasticity classification of the gastrocnemius decreased, but the above changes in the test group were better than those in the control group. The difference is statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The combination treatment of the foot drop stimulator and moving treadmill can significantly improve stroke patients' foot gait and promote the normalization of hip flexion, knee flexion, and ankle flexion. It can increase the pace, significantly reduce the step length asymmetry, reduce the muscle tone of the gastrocnemius, and improve walking function.

Effectiveness of Xiangsha Liujun pills on decreased digestive function in convalescent patients of coronavirus disease 2019: a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Xiangsha Liujun pills on the decreased digestive function in patients in the recovery phase of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 200 COVID-19 patients in the recovery phase were included in our study in Ezhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Totally 200 subjects were randomly divided into a treatment group (Xiangsha Liujun pills) and a control group (placebo), with 100 in each group. Subjects took Xiangsha Liujun pills or placebo orally three times a day for two weeks. Three visits were scheduled at week 0 (baseline), week 1 (the middle of the intervention) and week 2 (the end of the intervention) for each eligible patient. The total efficacy rates for improving the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) symptoms (fatigue, poor appetite, abdominal distension and loose stools) and the disappearance rates of symptoms were observed and compared in the treatment and control groups. Adverse events were recorded during the study period. SAS 9.4 was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 200 patients were included in this study, among which 4 participants withdrew because the drugs did not work. Three patients were excluded for age. Before the treatment, there was no significant difference between the TCM symptoms scores of subjects. After 1 week of treatment, the full analysis set (FAS) showed that the efficacy rates for abdominal distension and loose stools in the treatment group were significantly higher than the control group ( 0.05). There were no significant differences in the efficacy rates for fatigue and poor appetite between the two groups (0.05). In addition, the disappearance rate of fatigue in the treatment group was significantly higher than the control group (0.05); there were no significant differences between the two groups after treatment in the rates of poor appetite, abdominal distension, and loose stools (>0.05). After 2 weeks of treatment, the efficacy rates for fatigue, poor appetite, abdominal distension, and loose stools in the treatment group were significantly higher than the control group (0.05). The disappearance rate of loose stools in the treatment group was significantly higher than the control group ( 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the disappearance rates of fatigue, poor appetite, and abdominal distension between the two groups ( 0.05). No severe adverse events were reported by subjects during the study. CONCLUSIONS: This clinical study confirmed that Xiangsha Liujun pills can effectively improve the symptoms related to the decreased digestive function in COVID-19 convalescent patients.