The Effect of Electrical Stimulation on Spasticity in Hemiplegic Patients

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the immediate effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in reducing spasticity and to compare antispastic effect of low frequency electrical stimulation with that of high frequency electrical stimulation. METHOD: The subjects were 10 hemiplegic patients with stroke (n=7) and traumatic brain injury (n=3) and double blind test was used. For three days, one of sham, 30 Hz and 99 Hz electrical stimulation was respectively applied to rectus femoris and hamstring muscles at random order once a day. The evaluation of spasticity was done by using the Modified Ashworth scale, beats of ankle clonus, F/M ratio and relaxation index of knee by pendulum test before and after electrical stimulation. RESULTS: The result of the study revealed statistically significant immediate decrement of spasticity in hemiplegic patients after electrical stimulation, but there was no statistical different effect according to the frequency of electrical stimulation. CONCLUSION: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is useful in reducing spasticity. Further investigation to assess the long therapeutic effect of low and high frequency electrical stimulation will be needed.