DefinePK

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and spasticity is a common complication that can significantly impact the quality of life of stroke patients. Soft tissue massage has been suggested as a potential treatment for chronic spasticity, but its efficacy has not been well established in randomized controlled trials.
Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soft tissue massage on chronic spasticity in stroke patients.
Methods: A randomised controlled study was carried out at a teaching hospital connected with a university in Pakistan. Purposive sampling was used to enrol participants, who were then randomly assigned to either a massage or a normal care control group. During six weeks, the massage group had one 60-minute massage each week, whereas the control group just received regular care. Spasticity was assessed before and after the intervention using the Modified Ashworth Scale and the Tardieu Scale.
Results: The study included a total of 25 participants in each of two groups. As measured by both the Modified Ashworth Scale (p 0.001) and the Tardieu Scale (p 0.001), the massage group displayed a significant improvement in spasticity in comparison with the control group, while in terms of demographic or medical baseline measures, the both groups were not significantly different, p value > 0.05.
Conclusion: The study included a total of 25 participants in each of two groups. As assessed by both the Modified Ashworth Scale (p 0.001) and the Tardieu Scale (p 0.001), the massage group displayed a significant improvement in spasticity in comparison with the control group, while in terms of demographic or medical baseline measures, the both groups were not significantly different, p value > 0.05.