The effects of functional electrical stimulation on muscle tone and stiffness of stroke patients.
Sang-Hyun Moon, Jung-Hyun Choi, Si-Eun Park
PMID 28265148WHAT IT FOUND
After 6 weeks of functional electrical stimulation to the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius muscle tone and stiffness decreased in 10 stroke patients.
Without a control group, this suggests a possible change, not proof that FES alone caused it.
Key findings
01On the affected side, medial gastrocnemius muscle tone decreased from 15.44 Hz to 14.24 Hz, and lateral gastrocnemius muscle tone decreased from 14.29 Hz to 13.43 Hz, each with p<0.05.
02On the affected side, medial gastrocnemius stiffness decreased from 268.50 N/m to 252.30 N/m with p<0.01, and lateral gastrocnemius stiffness decreased from 271.90 N/m to 257.60 N/m with p=0.01.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 10 participants were studied, so the result may not generalise to other stroke patients. There was no control group, so the study cannot show that FES alone caused the changes. The paper reports changes in muscle tone and stiffness, not walking, balance, or daily function. The supplied text does not report dropouts or whether all participants completed the 6-week programme. Only the paretic side was measured, so comparisons with the unaffected side are not available.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict-of-interest declaration is included in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that FES alone reduces gastrocnemius tone or stiffness after stroke. The study had only 10 participants and no control group, so it cannot show that FES alone caused the changes.