Comparison of Brunnstrom movement therapy and Motor Relearning Program in rehabilitation of post-stroke hemiparetic hand: a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND Motor recovery of the hand usually plateaus in chronic stroke patients. Various conventional and contemporary approaches have been used to rehabilitate the hand post-stroke. However, the evidence for their effectiveness is still limited. OBJECTIVE To compare the hand therapy protocols based on Brunnstrom approach and motor relearning program in rehabilitation of the hand of chronic stroke patients. METHODOLOGY DESIGN Randomized trial. SETTING Outpatients attending the occupational therapy department of a rehabilitation institute. SUBJECTS 30 post-stroke subjects (35.06 ± 14.52 months) were randomly assigned into two equal groups (Group A and Group B), Outcome Measures: Brunnstrom recovery stages of hand (BRS-H), Fugl-Meyer assessment: wrist and hand (FMA-WH). INTERVENTION Group A received Brunnstrom hand manipulation (BHM). BHM is the hand treatment protocol of the Brunnstrom movement therapy, which uses synergies and reflexes to develop voluntary motor control. Group B received the Motor Relearning Program (MRP) based hand protocol. MRP is the practice of specific motor skills, which results in the ability to perform a task. Active practice of context-specific motor task such as reaching and grasping helps regain the lost motor functions. RESULTS Both the therapy protocols were effective in rehabilitation of the hand (BRS-H; p = 0.003 to 0.004, FMA-WH; p < 0.001). However, the results were statistically significant in favor of group A undergoing BHM for FMA-WH (p < 0.004) and FMA item VIII (hand motor recovery) (p < 0.033). CONCLUSION BHM was found to be more effective than MRP in rehabilitation of the hand in chronic post-stroke patients.