Abstract
A 55-year-old male with a diagnosis of a left hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident was seen for student physical therapy treatment for 8 weeks at a university neurological pro-bono clinic under the supervision of a clinical instructor. The patient was evaluated at the initial encounter with muscle testing, range of motion testing, the modified Functional Reach Test, the Berg Balance Scale, the 10-Meter Walk Test, the Timed Up-and-Go test, the modified Ashworth scale, and the Activity Specific Balance scale. A plan of care was established to address lower extremity strength deficits, hip range of motion deficits, and stability deficits which limited the patient’s gait and balance and restricted his ability to ambulate in the community and assist with chores at home. The main goals for the patient were to improve his gait speed and ability to ambulate in the community. The patient’s secondary goals were to improve his balance and be able to assist with chores at home. Main interventions used were lower extremity strengthening and stretching, body weight supported treadmill training, and balance exercises. The patient achieved the following goals: improved community ambulation, improved balance, and improved ability to assist with chores at home. Surprisingly, at discharge the patient made no significant improvement in gait speed and continued living at home with caregiver support from his wife.