Immediate effects of TECAR therapy on lower limb to decrease hypertonia in chronic stroke survivors: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

To analyze immediate effects of TECAR therapy (TT) to reduce lower limb hypertonia and improve functionality in chronic post-stroke. It is a single-blind randomized controlled clinical trial. A total of 36 chronic stroke survivors were divided into two groups. The experimental group received a single 30-minute session of TT with functional massage (FM) on lower limb. The control group received a single 30-minute session sham treatment of TT plus FM. The primary outcome measure was hypertonia (Modified Ashworth Scale, MAS). Secondary outcomes were gait speed (4-Meter Walk-Test), standing knee-flexion (Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale IV-item), change in weight bearing ankle dorsiflexion (Ankle Lunge Test, ALT), and functional lower limb strength (5-Times Sit-to-Stand Test). All measurements were performed at baseline, immediately and 30-minutes after treatment. There was a group-time interaction in MAS-knee (<i>p</i> = 0.044), MAS-ankle (<i>p</i> = 0.018) and ALT (<i>p</i> = 0.016) between <i>T</i>1 and <i>T</i>0 (<i>p</i><.0001) and <i>T</i>2 and <i>T</i>0 (<i>p</i><.0001) for the experimental group. There was a significant increase in ALT between <i>T</i>1 and <i>T</i>0 (<i>p</i> = 0.003) in the control group. A single session of TT performed at the same time as FM immediately reduces plantar-flexors and knee-extensor muscle hypertonia and increases change in weight bearing ankle dorsiflexion in chronic stroke survivors.