Stroke survivors often demonstrate balance and mobility deficits and low physical activity levels. They experience barriers to physical exercise including embarrassment, low self-efficacy and a shortage of tailored community exercise programmes. Access to physical activity programmes for stroke survivors could be improved by providing tailored, online programmes, although little is known about the safety and feasibility of online exercise classes for stroke survivors. One such programme of exercise which has received little attention in the literature is neuropilates. Neuropilates is the practice of a modified pilates programme in those with neurological conditions, is theorised to have beneficial effects on strength, balance and proprioception in stroke survivors. No randomised controlled trial has previously been conducted to investigate online, remotely supervised neuropilates exercise classes in the stroke survivors.~This single assessor blinded randomised control pilot feasibility trial will compare a 6-week online, remotely instructed neuropilates programme to a 6-week online, remotely instructed generalised exercise programme and a 6-week unsupervised generalised home exercise programme in chronic stroke patients. Twenty adults, at least 6 months post acute stroke, and finished their formal rehabilitation will be recruited to the study. Outcome measures will include balance, gait, tone and quality of life assessments and will be completed at baseline, on programme completion and 3 months post completion by a Physiotherapist blinded to the group allocation.
This study is being undertaken as part of a PhD qualification at ATU Sligo by the principal researcher Eimear Cronin. It will investigate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of a 6 week, online, remotely supervised neuropilates programme in post stroke participants as compared to a 6 week, online, remotely supervised generalised exercise programme and a 6 week unsupervised home exercise programme