EFFECTIVENESS OF ELECTRICAL STIMULATION IN UPPER EXTREMITY FLEXOR SPASTICITY DEVELOPED IN PATİENTS WİTH HEMIPLEGIA: A RANDOMIZED-CONTROLLED, SINGLE BLİND TRİAL

Abstract

Ouraim in thisstudywastoinvestigatetheeffectiveness of electricalstimulationtherapy on spasticity, daily life activities, upperextremityfunctionalstatus, range of motion, andneurophysiologicalstatus in upperlimbflexorspasticitydeveloped in hemiplegiapatients. Between January 2005 and February 2006, a total of 52 patients with the diagnosis of hemiplegia were included in the study.All patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group 1 (n=26) receivedtreatment of electricalstimulation 2 times a dayfor 30 minutes, 2 weeks, 4 days a week and range of motion(ROM)/stretchingexercises, Group 2 (n=26) received range of motion(ROM)/stretchingexercises for 2 weeks. Visual analog scale (VAS), ModifiedAshworthScale (MAS), Fugl-Meyer (FM) scale, andBarthelindexi (BI) wereevaluatedbefore, aftertreatment, 2 hoursand 6 hoursaftertreatment, duringdischargeand 2 monthsaftertreatment. Of the 52 (N = 52) patientsincluded in thestudy, 32 werefemaleand 20 weremale. Themeanage of group 1 (n = 26) was 58.54 ± 5.6, andthemeanage of group 2 was 56.35 ± 5.6. Therewasnostatisticallysignificantdifferencebetween VAS, MAS, FM, BI andbrunstromevaluationsbetweenthetwogroupsbeforethestudy. Therewas a statisticallysignificantincrease in VAS values duringdischargeand 2 monthsaftertreatment. Statisticallysignificantimprovementswereobserved in the EHA 2 monthsafterthetreatment of theflexorandextensormuscles in thewrist, elbowandmetacarpaphalangialjoints. Therewas a significantimprovement in wristandelbowflexorspasticityaftertreatmentand at 2 hourscomparedtopretreatment. Inconclusion, werecommendelectricalstimulation in hemipelgiapatientswithupperextremityspasticity, since it is effectiveonly on spasticity in theearlyperiodaftertreatment, and in thelongterm, it is effective on painand EHA.