A Single Blind, Clinical Trial to Investigate the Effects of a Single Session Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy on Wrist Flexor Spasticity After Stroke Publisher Pubmed



Daliri SS¹ ; Forogh B¹ ; Emami Razavi SZ¹ ; Ahadi T¹ ; Madjlesi F¹ ; Ansari NN²
Source: NeuroRehabilitation Published:2015

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Spasticity is a common, serious symptom after stroke. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) has been suggested for the treatment of muscle spasticity. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of ESWT on post stroke wrist flexor spasticity. METHODS: Fifteen patients with poststroke wrist flexor spasticity (12 male and 3 female with a mean age of 54 years) were enrolled. Patients received 1 sham ESWT followed by 1 active ESWT 1 week later. The outcome measures were the Modified Modified Ashworth Scale (MMAS), the Hmax/Mmax ratio, and the Brunnstrom motor recovery stage. RESULTS: The sham ESWT had not effects on the outcome measures. After active ESW, the MMAS scores of spasticity and the Hmax/Mmax ratio improved. The improvements were maintained 5 weeks after active ESWT. No significant improvements were observed for the motor recovery after sham or active ESWT. CONCLUSIONS: In adult patients after stroke, a single session of active ESWT resulted in significant improvement in the wrist flexor spasticity and alpha motor neuron excitability. © 2015 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.