A study on the effect of blood flow restriction training on the recovery of lower limb motor function in stroke patients with hemiplegia: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effect of blood flow restriction training (BFRT) on lower limb motor function recovery in stroke patients with hemiplegia. METHODS: In this parallel-group, assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial, 80 patients with first-ever stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) were enrolled. Participants were randomly allocated to receive either routine rehabilitation (RR group, n = 40) or routine rehabilitation plus BFRT (RR + BFRT group, n = 40) for 8 weeks (5 days/week). Assessments performed before and after the intervention included the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the Lower Extremity (FMA-LE), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), and Manual Muscle Testing (MMT) for key lower limb muscles. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics and all outcome measures were comparable between the two groups (all P > 0.05). After the intervention, both groups showed significant within-group improvements in FMA-LE, BBS, MBI, 6MWT, and MMT scores (all P < 0.05). The RR + BFRT group demonstrated significantly greater improvement than the RR group in FMA-LE, BBS, MBI, 6MWT, and MMT scores for the iliopsoas, quadriceps, and hamstrings (all P < 0.05). No between-group difference was found for tibialis anterior muscle strength (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive BFRT can effectively enhance lower limb motor function, balance, walking capacity, and muscle strength in stroke patients with hemiplegia, leading to greater functional independence. BFRT appears to be a beneficial adjunct to routine stroke rehabilitation.