A Randomized Controlled Evaluation of the Efficacy of an Ankle-Foot Cast on Walking Recovery Early After Stroke

Therapy [CPT]). All participants received treatment as usual in the form of CPT deemed appropriate for their presentation by the clinical physiotherapists and recorded using a standardised treatment schedule (1). The treatment schedule consists of a recording form and explanatory manual describing the treatment and this has been used successfully with clinical physiotherapists in our recently completed trials comparing CPT and functional strength training (FST) for the lower limb (2). The clinical physiotherapists providing CPT were trained to use the treatment schedule and documented content and amount of treatment provided each day. The records of treatment provided for all participants were collected by a researcher each week. The CPT as delivered in the centres for the present trial was a combination of hands-on techniques emphasising postural alignment and quality of movement together with goal-orientated task-specific training. Specific categories of physical therapy included: soft tissue mobilisation, facilitation of movement, splinting, resistive exercise, and functional mobility training. As in our earlier trial the purpose of the treatment schedule was not to constrain the clinical therapists in their choice of treatment for any individual (2-5). Clinical therapists were free to choose the techniques and the dose of treatment that they considered appropriate.