Virtual reality as a rehabilitation treatment for balance and gait after stroke
Keywords:
march, postural balance, stroke, virtual realityAbstract
Introduction: The presence of a stroke causes motor sequelae that affect gait and balance. Rehabilitation is a therapeutic tool in which the use of virtual reality promotes the recovery of general health.
Objective: To update existing information related to the use of virtual reality as a rehabilitation treatment for balance and gait following stroke.
Method: A bibliographic review was conducted of documents published between 2020 and 2024 in regional and high-impact databases (Redalyc, Scopus, PubMed, Dialnet, SciELO, and Web of Science). Initially, 71 documents were identified, of which 30 met the inclusion criteria and contributed information to the study. Duplicate texts, those not fully available, and those with research bias were excluded. The search was optimized through the use of health descriptors in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), which allowed for efficient expansion and filtering of results.
Development: The main results include a summary of the key elements related to balance and gait characteristics following stroke, and the advantages of using virtual reality in restoring balance and gait in these patients.
Conclusions: Virtual reality, whether as a sole or combined therapy, is established as an effective therapeutic approach that promotes improvements in postural control, balance, and gait patterns in stroke patients.
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References
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