Impact of Elastic Resistance Training on Step Length, Stride Length, Toe-Out Angle in patients with Haemophilia
Author: Dimple Choudhry, Sangeeta*, Sudhir Kumar Atri, Alka Yadav, Malika
MPT Scholar, College of Physiotherapy, Pt BDS PGIMS Rohtak, Haryana, India.
Published Date: 2025-09-06
Keywords: Haemophilia, Gait, TheraBand, Resistance training, Step length, Stride length, Toe-out angle.
Abstract:
Background: Haemophilia is a genetic bleeding disorder that often results in joint damage and muscle weakness due to recurrent hemarthrosis, which significantly affects gait. Physiotherapy interventions such as resistance training may help improve muscle strength and restore functional gait parameters in affected individuals.
Objective: To evaluate the impact of a TheraBand-based progressive resistance strength training program on gait characteristics—specifically step length, stride length, and toe-out angle—in individuals with haemophilia.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Haemophilia Day Care Centre, PGIMS Rohtak. A total of 69 male patients with moderate to severe haemophilia A were initially enrolled. Of these, 5 participants were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria, and 4 withdrew due to bleeding episodes during the study. Sixty participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n=30), which received a 6-week TheraBand-based lower limb strength training program, or a control group (n=30), which continued with routine physiotherapy care. The primary outcome measures—step length, stride length, toe-out angle was assessed pre- and post-intervention using standardized footprint methods for gait analysis.
Results: Post-intervention analysis revealed statistically significant improvements in the intervention group compared to the control group in step length (p < 0.01), stride length (p < 0.01), and toe-out angle (p < 0.05). No major adverse events were reported in the intervention group.
Conclusion: TheraBand-based resistance training significantly enhances key gait parameters including step length, stride length, and toe-out angle in individuals with haemophilia. This intervention is safe and effective and should be considered as a valuable addition to physiotherapy protocols for this population.
