ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine iontophoresis in elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Methods Fifty-six patients with KOA were randomized into the drug therapy group(n=28) receiving only traditional Chinese medicine iontophoresis therapy for four weeks and the combined treatment group(n= 28)receiving extracorporeal shock wave therapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine iontophoresis therapy for four weeks.WOMAC score as an specific severity-of-illness score was used to evaluate knee joint function of patients before and four-week after treatment. Results WOMAC scores of all patients were significantly decreased which indicated states of an illness were improved after four-week treatment as compared with pre-treatment(all P< 0.05).The combined treatment group versus the drug therapy group showed markedly lower WOMAC scores,including pain score(3.17 ± 1.03 vs.5.27 ± 1.58,t= 7.316,P< 0.05),morning stiffness score(2.23 ± 0.91 vs.3.32 ± 1.14,t= 3.440,P< 0.05),activity restrict of daily living score(20.13 ± 6.46 vs.27.35 ± 13.28,t= 4.691,P< 0.05)and total score(28.37 ± 11.62 vs.40.16 ± 5.93,t=8.015,P<0.05). Conclusions Compared with single traditional Chinese medicine iontophoresis, the extracorporeal shock wave therapy combined with traditional Chinese medicine iontophoresis therapy may significantly reduce the pain and morning stiffness degree,and enhance activities of daily living in elderly patients with KOA.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To discuss the curative effect of slow stretching training combined with extracorporeal shock wave in the treatment of spasticity of biceps brachii in the stroke patients,and to provide the clinical evdiences for the application of this therapy.Methods:Fifty-six patients with post-stroke biceps bachii spasticity were randomly divided into observation group(n =28)and control group(n=28)according to random number table method.The patients in two groups received routine treatment(40 min/time,2 times·d-1,6 d per week)and slow stretching training(15 min/time,2 times·d-1,6 d per week).On the basis of the routine treatment,the patients in observation group were treated with extracorporeal shock wave,while the patients in control group were treated with pseudo-extracorporeal wave therapy.Modified Ashworth scale(MAS),simplified upper limb Fugl-Meyer score(FMA)and modified Barthel index(MBI)were used to evaluate the curative effects before treatment, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after treatment.Results:After 2 weeks of treatment,the FMA score of the patients in observation group was siginificantly increased compared with before treatment(P<0.05),and the MBI and MAS scores were decreased(P<0.05);the MAS score of the patients in observation group was significantly lower than that in control group(P=0.036),while there were no significant differences in the FMA and MBI scores between two groups(P>0.05).Compared with 2 weeks after treatment,the MAS score of the patients in observation group 4 weeks after treatment was significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the FMA and MBI scores were increased(P<0.05);the FMA score and the MBI score in observation group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01),and the MAS score was significantly lower than that in control group(P<0.01). Conclusion:Slow stretching training combined with extracorporeal shock wave could effectively improve the post-stroke biceps brachii spasticity,and its therapeutic effect is better than the simple application of slow stretching training.