Electroacupuncture enhances the effectiveness of electrical stimulation in treating spastic foot drop / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe the clinical effect of combining four-channel electrical stimulation with electroacupuncture of the antagonistic muscles in treating post-stroke spastic foot drop.Methods:Ninety stroke survivors with spastic foot drop were randomly divided into a control group, an electrical stimulation group and an observation group, each of 30. In addition to routine rehabilitation training, the electrical stimulation group was given four-channel electrical stimulation for 4 weeks, the electrical stimulation was delivered with a pulse duration of 200μs and an intensity of motor threshold at 30Hz, while the observation group also received electroacupuncture of the antagonistic muscle. Before and after the treatment, the three groups were evaluated using the clinical spasticity index (CSI). Stride frequency, stride length, and the supporting and swing phases on the affected side were also measured. Electromyography (EMG) was also conducted.Results:After the treatment, the average CSI scores of all groups had decreased significantly, with that of the observation group significantly lower than the electrical stimulation group and control group′s averages. The average gait descriptors of the three groups had also improved significantly, with significantly greater improvement in the observation group than in the other two. The average H reflex latency was significantly longer and Hmax/Mmax was significantly smaller in all three groups, but the observation group′s average values were again significantly better than those of the electrical stimulation group.Conclusion:Electroacupuncture of the antagonistic muscle enhances the effectiveness of four-channel electrical stimulation in relieving foot drop symptoms and improving gait after a stroke.