Journal
ANNALS OF REHABILITATION MEDICINE-ARM
Volume 35, Issue 5, Pages 599-604Publisher
KOREAN ACAD REHABILITATION MEDICINE
DOI: 10.5535/arm.2011.35.5.599
Keywords
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy; Spasticity; F wave; H-reflex
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Objective To evaluate the spasticity and electrophysiologic effects of applying extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) to the gastrocnemius by studying F wave and H-reflex. Method Ten healthy adults and 10 hemiplegic stroke patients with ankle plantarflexor spasticity received one session of ESWT on the medial head of the gastrocnemius. The modified Ashworth scale (MAS), tibial nerve conduction, F wave, and H-reflex results were measured before and immediately after the treatment. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used during ESWT to measure the side effects, such as pain. Results There were no significant effects of ESWT on the conduction velocity, distal latency and amplitude of tibial nerve conduction, minimal latency of tibial nerve F wave, latency, or H-M ratio of H-reflex in either the healthy or stroke group. However, the MAS of plantarflexor was significantly reduced from 2.67 +/- 1.15 to 1.22 +/- 1.03 (p<0.05) after applying ESWT in the stroke group. Conclusion After applying ESWT on the gastrocnemius in stroke patients, the spasticity of the ankle plantarflexor was significantly improved, with no changes of F wave or H-reflex parameters. Further studies are needed to evaluate the mechanisms of the antispastic effect of ESWT.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available