Efficacy of Aquatic Therapy in Improving Balance in Patients With Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

To evaluate the efficacy of aquatic therapy in improving balance, gait speed, and fall risk in patients with stroke. Experimental studies comparing aquatic therapy with conventional rehabilitation, land-based interventions, or no intervention. The primary outcome was balance, assessed using the Berg Balance Scale. Secondary outcomes included gait speed and fall risk. This meta-analysis suggests that aquatic therapy may be effective in enhancing balance and gait speed and in reducing fall risk among individuals with stroke; however, these findings should be interpreted with caution because of the high heterogeneity observed across studies.