A critical appraisal of "Virtual reality reflection therapy improves balance and gait in patients with chronic stroke: randomized controlled trials"

Physical therapy is a growing field and the importance of evidence-based practice cannot be overstated. This paper was an assignment to learn how to clinically appraise articles and develop an importance for evidence-based practice in physical therapy. The question searched for in pubmed was in patients with stroke, is the assistance of virtual reality effective achieving a normal gait? The article of "Virtual Reality Reflection Therapy Improves Balance and Gait in Patients with Chronic Stroke: Randomized Controlled Trials"� was selected for this purpose. This article based in South Korea used participants who had suffered a stroke and implemented conventional therapy, and virtual reality reflection therapy. The results are concise but in need of more information to strengthen the quality of the article, and the study. A positive result of this virtual reality reflection therapy (VRRT) treatment indicated this treatment should be considered in physical therapy clinics. The methods are outlined well, but no access to the virtual reality treatment is provided. This limits the ability of implementing this treatment in clinics, and weakens the quality of the study.