Effect of cryotherapy in controlling spasticity of calf muscles in patients with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Spasticity is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS), affecting 80% of patients. Many studies have aimed to detect methods to reduce spasticity under these conditions and found that spasticity can be efficiently reduced using cryotherapy. OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of cryotherapy on spasticity among patients with MS. METHODS: Thirty-two participants were randomized into two groups. The study group was given airflow cryotherapy and a selected physical therapy program, whereas the control group was only given a selected physical therapy program. The treatment was administered three times each week for a total of twelve consecutive sessions. The outcome measures were the modified Ashworth scale and the H/M ratio. RESULTS: The study group showed significant decrease in calf muscle spasticity, indicated by a reduction in spasticity grade (p = 0.001) and a decrease in the H/M ratio of 33.81% (p = 0.001). The control group also showed significant reduction in calf muscle spasticity, as indicated by a reduction in spasticity grade (p = 0.001) and a reduction in the H/M ratio of 19.58% (p = 0.001). There was a significant decrease in the spasticity grade and H/M ratio of the study group posttreatment compared with those of the control group (p = 0.02 and p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The combined effect of cryotherapy and a selected physical therapy program are more effective in controlling the spasticity of calf muscles in patients with MS than a selected physical therapy program alone.