Abstract
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the immediate effects of treadmill training with body weight support (BWSTT) by patients with orthopedic diseases. [Subjects] Twenty patients with gait dysfunction due to orthopedic diseases participated in this study. [Methods] Stride length and 10 m gait velocity were examined as quantitative outcome measures for gait function. The degree of difficulty, tiredness and pain during walking were estimated on a numerical rating scale. All evaluated scores after BWSTT were compared with those before BWSTT. [Results] The results showed significant improvements in 10 m gait velocity and the stride length after BWSTT. The degree of difficulty, tiredness and pain during walking, after BWSTT were significantly reduced compared with those before BWSTT. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that BWSTT has immediate effects for patients with orthopedic diseases.
