Effects of Core Muscle Strengthening Training with Different Intensities under Overhead Suspension on Motor Function of Stroke Patients

<bold>Objective</bold>To observe the effects of core muscle group training with different intensities assisted by overhead suspension on motor function and activities of daily living in stroke patients.<bold>Methods</bold>A total of seventy-two stroke patients with balance disorders admitted to the Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, Hangzhou Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, from May 2023 to February 2024 were selected. They were divided into conventional rehabilitation group, core group 1, and core group 2 according to the random number table method, with 24 patients in each group. There were 2 cases lost to follow-up in each of the 3 groups: one case voluntarily withdrew and the other one dropped out due to recurrent cerebral hemorrhage in the conventional rehabilitation group; 2 cases in the core group 1 dropped out due to transfer to another hospital; 1 case in the core group 2 dropped out due to discharge and 1 case due to inability to cooperate with the entire training course. Finally, 66 cases completed the trial. All three groups were given basic symptomatic treatment with drugs for blood pressure and blood glucose control, as well as 30 minutes of routine rehabilitation training. In addition to the routine rehabilitation training, the core group 1 and core group 2 were given core muscle group stability training for 15 minutes and 30 minutes respectively. The training for all three groups was conducted once a day, 5 days a week, for a continuous period of 4 weeks. Before treatment, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after treatment, the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and modified Barthel Index (MBI) scales were used to evaluate the motor function and activities of daily living of the 3 groups; the 3D gait motion capture and training system was used to test and record the step length, walking speed, and touchdown duration of the double-limb support phase during walking of the 3 groups; musculoskeletal ultrasound was used to measure the muscle thickness of the paralyzed side of the 3 groups.<bold>Results</bold>Compared with the pre-treatment period, the FMA scores of all three groups increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with the conventional rehabilitation group, the FMA scores of the core group 1 and core group 2 both increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with core group 1, the FMA scores of the core group 2 increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05).Compared with the pre-treatment period, the MBI scores of all three groups increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with the conventional rehabilitation group, the MBI scores of the core group 1 and core group 2 both increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with the core group 1, the MBI scores of the core group 2 increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with the pre-treatment period, all three groups showed an increase in stride length (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05), an increase in gait speed (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05), and reduced double-limb support phase duration (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05) after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment. Compared with the conventional rehabilitation group, both the core group 1 and the core group 2 had larger stride length (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05), faster gait speed (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05), and reduced double-limb support phase duration (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05) after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment. Compared with the core group 1, the core group 2 exhibited larger stride length (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05), faster gait speed (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05), and reduced double-limb support phase duration (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05) after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment.Compared with the pre-treatment period, the thickness of the transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis in all three groups increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with the conventional rehabilitation group, the thickness of the transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis in the core group 1 and the core group 2 both increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). Compared with the core group 1, the thickness of the transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis in the core group 2 increased after 2 weeks and 4 weeks of treatment (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). There was no significant difference in the thickness of the internal oblique abdominis and external oblique abdominis before and after treatment in all three groups (<italic>P</italic>&gt;0.05).<bold>Conclusion</bold>Core muscle group strengthening training assisted by overhead suspension can effectively improve the activities of daily living and balance function of stroke patients, with 30 minutes of training showing better effects than 15 minutes training, and a 4-week training period showing better effects than 2 weeks.