Why the study?
Physical therapy is recommended after stroke, but the relationship between its dose and functional recovery during acute hospitalization remains unclear.
Does greater frequency and duration of physical therapy improve functional mobility at hospital discharge in adults admitted with acute stroke?
Population
331 adults admitted to a stroke center with acute stroke
Comparison
Varying volume and frequency of physical therapy
Design
Retrospective analysis of medical records
Key result
Greater physical therapy frequency (p=0.01) and duration (p=0.037) were independently associated with meaningful improvement in functional mobility at hospital discharge among acute stroke patients.
Authors
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Higher PT volume/frequency may link to acute stroke mobility gains; hypothesis-generating, needs prospective trials before practice change.
Observational (n=331)
No
Does greater frequency and duration of physical therapy improve functional mobility at hospital discharge in adults admitted with acute stroke?
p-value: p=0.01 for PT sessions, 0.037 for PT minutes
Increased frequency and duration of physical therapy during acute hospitalization for stroke is independently associated with meaningful short-term functional recovery.
Thrush et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Acute Stroke (n=331). Physical therapy (PT) volume and frequency vs. Lower PT volume and frequency was evaluated on ≥4 points improvement on the Functional Status Score for the Intensive Care Unit (FSS-ICU) from hospital admission to discharge (p=0.01 for PT sessions, 0.037 for PT minutes). Greater physical therapy frequency (p=0.01) and duration (p=0.037) were independently associated with meaningful improvement in functional mobility at hospital discharge among acute stroke patients.
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