Print Get Citation Citation Disclaimer: These citations have been automatically generated based on the information we have and it may not be 100% accurate. Please consult the latest official manual style if you have any questions regarding the format accuracy. AMA Citation Davis R, Chan A. Davis R, & Chan A Davis, Rhianna, and Alex Chan. Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy may be effective for upper limb spasticity. 2 Minute Medicine, 5 June 2023. McGraw Hill, 2023. AccessSurgery. https://accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/updatesContent.aspx?gbosid=626760§ionid=278904195APA Citation Davis R, Chan A. Davis R, & Chan A Davis, Rhianna, and Alex Chan. Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy may be effective for upper limb spasticity. [publicationyear2] 2 minute medicine. McGraw Hill. https://accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/updatesContent.aspx?gbosid=626760§ionid=278904195.MLA Citation Davis R, Chan A. Davis R, & Chan A Davis, Rhianna, and Alex Chan. "Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy may be effective for upper limb spasticity." 2 Minute Medicine McGraw Hill, 2023, https://accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/updatesContent.aspx?gbosid=626760§ionid=278904195. Download citation file: RIS (Zotero) EndNote BibTex Medlars ProCite RefWorks Reference Manager Mendeley © Copyright Annotate Clip Autosuggest Results Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy may be effective for upper limb spasticity by Rhianna Davis, Alex Chan Listen +Originally published by 2 Minute Medicine® (view original article). Reused on AccessMedicine with permission. +1. Patients with chronic upper limb spasticity post-stroke randomized to radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) had greater symptomatic and functional improvement than patients randomized to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). +Evidence Rating Level: 1 (Excellent) +It is estimated that 43% of patients who survive a stroke experience upper limb spasticity, which can be functionally impairing. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been the standard treatment for this, while radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) has also been shown to treat spasticity. This single-centre randomized controlled trial based in Sri Lanka aimed to compare the efficacy of rESWT and TENS for treating patients with chronic upper limb spasticity post-stroke. Participants included must have had their first stroke 6 months prior to enrollment, resulting in hemiplegia. The treatments were administered one session a week for four weeks, with follow-up assessments after the first and last sessions. The outcomes measured included: Spasticity as defined on the 4-point modified Ashworth scale, voluntary control grading (VCG), and hand function as defined through the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of Upper Limb (FMA-UL). In total, there were 106 patients randomized equally to rESWT and TENS. Both cohorts demonstrated decreased spasticity, but the difference was greater in the rESWT group compared to TENS, with a 4.8 times (95% CI 1.956-2.195) reduction in spasticity after 4 weeks. VCG and FMA-UL scores also improved in both, but moreso in the rESWT patients, with 3.9 times (95% CI 2.314-2.667) improvement in VCG and 3.8 times (95% CI 19.549-22.602) improvement in FMA-UL hand function score. Overall, this study showed that both rESWT and TENS are effective treatments for chronic upper limb spasticity post-stroke, with rESWT potentially being a superior modality. +Click to read the study in PLOS ONE +©2023 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.