Does electrical stimulation reduce spasticity after stroke? A randomized controlled study

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of electrical stimulation on plantarflexor spasticity in stroke patients. Design: A randomized controlled clinical trial study. Setting: Rehabilitation clinic of Semnan University of Medical Sciences. Subjects: Forty stroke patients (aged from 42 to 65 years) with ankle plantarflexor spasticity. Intervention: Fifteen minutes of inhibitory Bobath techniques were applied to one experimental group and a combination of 9 minutes of electrical stimulation on the dorsiflexor muscles and inhibitory Bobath techniques was applied to another group for 20 sessions daily. Main measures: Passive ankle joint dorsiflexion range of motion, dorsiflexion strength test, plantarflexor muscle tone by Modified Ashworth Scale and soleus muscle H-reflex. Results: The mean change of passive ankle joint dorsiflexion in the combination therapy group was 11.4 (SD 4.79) degrees versus 6.1 (SD 3.09) degrees, which was significantly higher (P = 0.001). The mean change of plantarflexor muscle tonicity measured by the Modified Ashworth Scale in the combination therapy group was -1.6 (SD 0.5) versus -1.1 (SD 0.31) in the Bobath group (P = 0.001). Dorsiflexor muscle strength was also increased significantly (P = 0.04) in the combination therapy group (0.7 ± 0.37) compared with the Bobath group (0.4 ± 0.23). However, no significant change in the amplitude of H-reflex was found between combination therapy (-0.41 ± 0.29) and Bobath (-0.3 ± 0.28) groups. Conclusion: Therapy combining Bobath inhibitory technique and electrical stimulation may help to reduce spasticity effectively in stroke patients.