An interventional study of Contralateral Gravity-Eliminated Gluteus Medius Strengthening and Quadratus Lumborum Strengthening Group in Stroke, sponsored by Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences. Recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 45 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-28.
Sponsored by Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study aims to compare the effects of contralateral gravity-eliminated gluteus medius strengthening and ipsilateral quadratus lumborum strengthening, both combined with conventional physiotherapy, on pelvic alignment, balance, and functional mobility in patients with subacute stroke. This single-blinded, two-arm, parallel-group randomized clinical trial will be conducted at the Department of Physical Therapy Rehabilitation, Alfalah Medical Center, Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 40 participants aged 45-60 years with a first-ever stroke occurring 1-6 months before enrollment will be recruited and randomly allocated to two groups. Group A will receive 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy followed by 20 minutes of contralateral gravity-eliminated gluteus medius strengthening, while Group B will receive 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy followed by 20 minutes of ipsilateral quadratus lumborum strengthening. Both groups will receive treatment three times per week for six weeks. The primary outcome measures will include pelvic alignment assessed using the Palpation Meter (PALM), balance assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and functional mobility assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. All outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, immediately after the six-week intervention, and at week 12 to evaluate changes following treatment and at follow-up. The study will compare outcomes between the two groups to determine the relative effectiveness of the two targeted strengthening approaches when combined with conventional physiotherapy in patients with subacute stroke.
This study aims to compare the effects of contralateral gravity-eliminated gluteus medius strengthening and ipsilateral quadratus lumborum strengthening, both combined with conventional physiotherapy, on pelvic alignment, balance, and functional mobility in patients with subacute stroke. This study will be conducted as a single-blinded, two-arm, parallel-group randomized clinical trial at the Department of Physical Therapy Rehabilitation, Alfalah Medical Center, Lahore, Pakistan. The planned study duration is 12 months following synopsis approval. A total of 40 participants aged 45-60 years with a first-ever stroke occurring 1-6 months before enrollment will be recruited through convenience sampling and randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio using a computer-generated random sequence and sequentially numbered opaque sealed envelopes. Eligible participants will be medically stable, demonstrate Brunnstrom Recovery Stages III-V, be able to follow simple verbal commands, be able to stand independently or with minimal assistance, and have a Berg Balance Scale score below 45 out of 56. Participants with recurrent stroke, severe cognitive impairment, other neurological disorders, severe lower-limb musculoskeletal conditions, severe lower-limb spasticity defined as a Modified Ashworth Scale score greater than 3, uncontrolled cardiovascular or respiratory disease, severe visual or vestibular impairment affecting balance, inability to stand even with assistance, or participation in another rehabilitation research study during the study period will be excluded. Participants will be divided into two groups. Group A will receive 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy combined with 20 minutes of contralateral gravity-eliminated gluteus medius strengthening per session, three times per week for six weeks. The strengthening program will include supported gravity-eliminated hip abduction exercises, active-assisted and active muscle activation, pelvic stabilization, controlled hip abduction with sustained holds, and progression according to the participant's motor control and tolerance. Group B will receive the same 30-minute conventional physiotherapy program combined with 20 minutes of ipsilateral quadratus lumborum strengthening per session, three times per week for six weeks. Exercises will include isometric quadratus lumborum activation, side-lying pelvic hiking, controlled pelvic lowering, and progressive trunk and pelvic stabilization exercises in appropriate positions according to the participant's abilities and tolerance. Conventional physiotherapy will be provided to both groups and will include range-of-motion exercises, trunk and pelvic control activities, weight shifting, balance training, and gait-related exercises based on the Bobath Concept, Brunnstrom Approach, and conventional physiotherapy principles. The outcome assessor will be blinded to group allocation. All three outcome measures will be considered primary outcomes. Pelvic alignment will be assessed using the Palpation Meter (PALM), balance will be assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and functional mobility will be assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The PALM will be used to measure pelvic tilt in degrees, the BBS will assess functional balance using 14 tasks with a maximum total score of 56, and the TUG will measure the time required to stand from a chair, walk three metres, turn, return, and sit down. All outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, immediately after completion of the six-week intervention, and at week 12 to evaluate changes following treatment and at follow-up. The results will be compared between the two groups to determine the relative effectiveness of contralateral gravity-eliminated gluteus medius strengthening and ipsilateral quadratus lumborum strengthening when combined with conventional physiotherapy in improving pelvic alignment, balance, and functional mobility in patients with subacute stroke.
8,255 studies on the registry are indexed under Stroke; 2,056 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 40 is below the median of 49 across 6,024 interventional studies indexed under Stroke.
Browse Stroke studies →Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences is the lead sponsor of 79 studies on the registry; 55 are open to participants now.
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Patients aged 45-65 years. Patients with a first-ever stroke occurring 1-6 months before enrollment (subacute stroke).
Patients classified within Brunnstrom Recovery Stages III-V. Medically stable patients who are able to follow simple verbal commands. Patients able to stand independently or with minimal assistance. Patients with a Berg Balance Scale (BBS) score below 45 out of 56.
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients with a history of recurrent stroke. Patients with severe cognitive impairment. Patients with other neurological disorders that may affect rehabilitation outcomes.
Patients with severe lower-limb musculoskeletal conditions. Patients with severe spasticity, defined as a Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score greater than 3, according to the study protocol.
Patients with uncontrolled cardiovascular or respiratory disease. Patients with severe visual or vestibular impairment affecting balance. Patients unable to stand even with assistance. Patients participating in another rehabilitation research study during the study period.
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Group A participants will receive conventional physiotherapy combined with contralateral gravity-eliminated gluteus medius strengthening for six weeks. Each session will include 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy and 20 minutes of targeted gluteus medius strengthening. Sessions will be conducted three times per week for six weeks, for a total of 18 supervised sessions. The program will focus on improving gluteus medius activation, pelvic control, and lumbopelvic stability through supported gravity-eliminated exercises.
Behavioral: Contralateral Gravity-Eliminated Gluteus Medius Strengthening · Behavioral: Conventional Physiotherapy
Group B participants will receive conventional physiotherapy combined with ipsilateral quadratus lumborum strengthening for six weeks. Each session will include 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy and 20 minutes of targeted quadratus lumborum strengthening. Sessions will be conducted three times per week for six weeks, for a total of 18 supervised sessions. The program will focus on improving quadratus lumborum activation, trunk stability, and pelvic control.
Behavioral: Quadratus Lumborum Strengthening Group · Behavioral: Conventional Physiotherapy
Participants will receive 20 minutes of contralateral gravity-eliminated gluteus medius strengthening per session, three times per week for six weeks. Exercises will focus on selective gluteus medius activation, supported hip abduction in gravity-eliminated positions, and pelvic stabilization. Exercise difficulty will be adjusted according to participants' motor control and tolerance
Group B participants will receive conventional physiotherapy combined with ipsilateral quadratus lumborum strengthening for six weeks. Each session will include 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy and 20 minutes of targeted quadratus lumborum strengthening. Sessions will be conducted three times per week for six weeks, for a total of 18 supervised sessions. The program will focus on improving quadratus lumborum activation, trunk stability, and pelvic control.
Participants will receive 30 minutes of conventional physiotherapy per session, three times per week for six weeks. Treatment will include range-of-motion exercises, trunk and pelvic control activities, weight shifting, balance training, and gait-related exercises based on the Bobath Concept, Brunnstrom Approach, and conventional physiotherapy principles.
Pelvic Alignment (PALM)
Pelvic alignment will be assessed using the Palpation Meter (PALM), which measures pelvic inclination in degrees using standardized positioning and palpation of relevant pelvic landmarks. Changes in pelvic tilt will be evaluated to determine the effects of contralateral gravity-eliminated gluteus medius strengthening and ipsilateral quadratus lumborum strengthening combined with conventional physiotherapy.
Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the 6-week intervention (Week 6), and at Week 12 follow-up.
Berg Balance Scale (BBS)
Functional balance will be assessed using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), which consists of 14 functional tasks, each scored from 0 to 4, with a maximum total score of 56. Higher scores indicate better balance performance. Changes in total BBS scores will be compared between the two intervention groups to evaluate improvements in functional balance.
Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the 6-week intervention (Week 6), and at Week 12 follow-up.
Timed Up and Go (TUG)
Functional mobility will be assessed using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Participants will be instructed to stand up from a chair, walk 3 metres, turn around, return to the chair, and sit down. The time required to complete the test will be recorded in seconds. A shorter completion time indicates better functional mobility. Changes in TUG completion time will be compared between the two intervention groups.
Time frame: Baseline, immediately after the 6-week intervention (Week 6), and at Week 12 follow-up.
Plan to share: No
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Started Aug 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2026, 4 months after the start.
Of 3,108 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Stroke, half reached primary completion within 23 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 46. This study's planned 4 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 3,252 studies reached it within 23 months; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 46.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Lahore University of Biological and Applied Sciences