Treating sensory impairments in the post-stroke upper limb with intermittent pneumatic compression. Results of a preliminary trial

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) in treating sensory impairments in the hemiplegic upper limb in stroke patients. Design: Twenty-three stroke patients were enrolled in a randomized, controlled preliminary trial that compared the application of intermittent pneumatic compression with a passive treatment strategy. Setting: Four Belgian day centres for treatment of neurological disabilities. Four acute and rehabilitation care wards specialized in neurological treatment. Subjects: Twenty-three stroke patients. Interventions: The experimental group (n = 11) received standard physiotherapy combined with intermittent pneumatic compression treatment (10 cycles of 3 minutes with a peak of 40 mmHg) for their hemiplegic upper limb. The control group (n = 12) received supplementary to their conventional physiotherapy a placebo treatment, namely sham short-wave therapy on the hemiplegic shoulder for 30 minutes. Main outcome measures: Sensory impairments were clinically assessed at three occasions over a period of four weeks using the Nottingham Sensory Assessment scale. Results: Both groups improved in somatosensation over time, but the experimental group improved more than the control group (p = 0.036) or 81.1% improvement versus 30.9%. Conclusions: The use of intermittent pneumatic compression in the rehabilitation of stroke patients may be of clinical importance for the restoration of sensory function.