Assessment indicators for determining walking independence

Abstract

Walking disorders not only significantly reduce activities of daily living and lower the quality of life, but also increase the burden on caregivers and the use of social resources. Therefore, an appropriate assessment of walking independence is very important in physiotherapy practice. Several indices have been reported to assess walking independence in stroke patients. Most of them are evaluated with a focus on physical function and balance ability, and the cut-off values for each indicator have been reported. This chapter describes the validity, relevance, and cut-off values of the balance and walking indices used to assess walking independence in stroke patients, and outlines their clinical applications.