Effectiveness of Heel-Raise-Lower Exercise after Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Patients with Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Study

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of the heel-raise-lower exercise on spasticity, strength, and gait speed after the application of 30 min of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in patients with stroke. Methods: The participants were randomly divided into the TENS group and the placebo group, with 20 participants assigned to each group. In the TENS group, heel-raise-lower exercise was performed after applying TENS for six weeks. The placebo group was trained in the same manner for the same amount of time but without electrical stimulation. The spasticity of the ankle plantar flexors was measured using the composite spasticity score. A handheld dynamometer and a 10-m walk test were used to evaluate muscle strength and gait speed, respectively. Results: Spasticity was significantly more improved in the TENS group (mean change −2.0 ± 1.1) than in the placebo group (mean change −0.4 ± 0.9) (p < 0.05). Similarly, muscle strength was significantly more improved in the TENS group (6.4 ± 3.3 kg) than in the placebo group (4.5 ± 1.6 kg) (p < 0.05). Moreover, participants assigned to the TENS group showed a significant greater improvement in gait speed than those in the placebo group (mean change −5.3 ± 1.4 s vs. −2.7 ± 1.2 s). Conclusions: These findings show the benefits of heel-raise-lower exercise after TENS for functional recovery in patients with stroke.

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A Randomized Controlled Trial to Study the Efficacy of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Reducing Spasticity of Plantar Flexors in Hemiplegic Patients

International Journal of Scientific Research ◽

10.15373/22778179/june2014/141 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3 (6) ◽

pp. 419-421

Author(s):

Jaspreet Kaur ◽

◽

Lalit Arora ◽

Reena Arora ◽

Smati Sambyal

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Nerve Stimulation ◽

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Plantar Flexors ◽

Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽

Randomized Controlled

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Effects of high-frequency, high-intensity transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation versus intravenous opioids for pain relief after gynecologic laparoscopic surgery: a randomized controlled study

Korean Journal of Anesthesiology ◽

10.4097/kjae.2018.71.2.149 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 71 (2) ◽

pp. 149-156 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Birgitta Platon ◽

Clas Mannheimer ◽

Paulin Andréll

Keyword(s):

Laparoscopic Surgery ◽

Pain Relief ◽

Nerve Stimulation ◽

High Intensity ◽

High Frequency ◽

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽

Randomized Controlled Study ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽

Randomized Controlled

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Effectiveness of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation with Taping for Stroke Rehabilitation

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2021/9912094 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Tae-Sung In ◽

Jin-Hwa Jung ◽

Kyoung-Sim Jung ◽

Hwi-Young Cho

Keyword(s):

Electrical Stimulation ◽

Muscle Strength ◽

Nerve Stimulation ◽

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽

Plantar Flexors ◽

Stroke Patients ◽

Noninvasive Methods ◽

Electrical Nerve Stimulation ◽

Functional Training ◽

Long Term Follow Up

Background. Spasticity is a factor that impairs the independent functional ability of stroke patients, and noninvasive methods such as electrical stimulation or taping have been reported to have antispastic effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) combined with taping on spasticity, muscle strength, and gait ability in stroke patients. Methods. From July to October 2020, 46 stroke patients with moderate spasticity in the plantar flexors participated and were randomly assigned to the TENS group ( n = 23 ) and the TENS+taping group ( n = 23 ). All subjects performed a total of 30 sessions of functional training for 30 min/session, 5 days/week, for 6 weeks. For therapeutic exercise, sit-to-standing, indoor walking, and stair walking were performed for 10 min each. In addition, all participants in both groups received TENS stimulation around the peroneal nerve for 30 min before performing functional training. In the TENS+taping group, taping was additionally applied to the feet, ankles, and shin area after TENS, and the taping was replaced once a day. The composite spasticity score and handheld dynamometer measurements were used to assess the intensity of spasticity and muscle strength, respectively. Gait ability was measured using a 10 m walk test. Results. The spasticity score and muscle strength were significantly improved in the TENS+taping group compared to those in the TENS group ( p < 0.05 ). A significant improvement in gait speed was observed in the TENS+taping group relative to that in the TENS group ( p < 0.05 ). Conclusions. Thus, TENS combined with taping may be useful in improving spasticity, muscle strength, and gait ability in stroke patients. Based on these results, an additional application of taping could be used to enhance the antispastic effect of TENS or other electrical stimulation treatments in the clinic. A long-term follow-up study is needed to determine whether the spasticity relieving effect persists after taping is removed.

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