Effectiveness of Neurodynamic Mobilization versus Conventional Therapy on Spasticity Reduction and Upper Limb Function in Tetraplegic Patients

ABSTRACT

Methods@#Twenty subjects with traumatic spinal cord injury (level C5–C8) and upper limb spasticity in the finger and wrist flexors were enrolled. They were randomly allocated to two different groups using a computer-generated randomization schedule group I comprised the neurodynamic mobilization group (n=11) and group II was the conventional therapy group (n=9); the subjects were administered therapy for 5 days every week for a period of 4 weeks. Upper limb spasticity was assessed using the Modified Ashworth Scale for wrist and finger flexors; F-wave amplitude, latency, and F-wave/M-wave amplitude ratio (F/M ratio) were examined using the F-wave scores of the median nerve; and upper limb function was determined using the Capabilities of Upper Extremity (CUE) Questionnaire. @*Results@#After 4 weeks of intervention, between-group comparisons showed a significant difference in the pre-intervention and postintervention scores on the Modified Ashworth Scale score for wrist flexors (−1.64±0.67), Modified Ashworth Scale score for finger flexors (−1.00±0.63), F-wave amplitude (−154.09±220.86), F/M ratio (−0.18±0.24), and CUE scores (17.82±13.49). @*Conclusions@#These results suggest that neurodynamic mobilization of the median nerve may be effective for upper limb spasticity control and upper limb functional improvement in tetraplegic patients.