Application of Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation on Lower Limb Acupoints as an Important Adjunctive Tool in Stroke Rehabilitation Program & Its Effects on Spasticity and Functional Ability

Background: There is increasing evidence of neural plastic changes associated with specific training that is goal-directed and requires special attention with practice. Sensory input by Transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS) on acupoints and task related training (TRT) induces recovery of lower limb function in patients after stroke. There are very few studies which show the effectiveness and importance of sensory stimulation through acupoints, therefore the purpose of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of TENS on acupoints when applied with other rehabilitation program on reducing spasticity and improving lower limb function in subjects after sub-acute stroke. Materials and Methods: Thirty subjects with sub-acute stroke of either side including both male and female participated in randomised clinical trial. Both group received TRT along with conventional physiotherapy program. TENS on acupoints was given in subjects of experimental group along with TRT and conventional program to evaluate the effectiveness of TENS. Measurement of spasticity was done by Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), functional ability was measured by Dynamic Gait index (DGI) and Timed up & Go (TUG) test. All the measurements were done before and after 5 weeks intervention. Result: A significant reduction in spasticity measured by MAS (p=0.03) and relevant improvement in functional ability measured by DGI (p=0.03) and TUG (p=0.04) were observed in experimental group after five weeks intervention. Conclusion: Present study provides an evidence to support the use of TENS on acupoints as an adjunctive tool with task related training and other rehabilitation program.