Comparison of Agonist vs. Antagonist Stimulation on Triceps Surae Spasticity in Spinal Cord

Objectives: One of the most common and disabling complications that affects individuals with spinal cord injury is spasticity. The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of agonist and antagonist electrical stimulations on triceps surae muscle spasticity in patients with spinal cord injury. Methods: A total of 30 subjects with spinal cord injury were considered for the study. They were divided into two groups randomly. Group 1 received agonist electrical stimulation (stimulation of triceps surae) and group 2 received antagonist electrical stimulation (stimulation of tibialis anterior) for 20 min, once daily, and 5 days per week for two weeks. To evaluate the therapeutic effect, modified Ashworth score, deep tendon reflex score and clonus score were tested before and after the treatment. Post treatment evaluation was made 24 h after the last treatment session. Results: Both the groups showed significant reductions in the modified Ashworth scores and deep tendon reflex scores after the intervention, but these reductions were not found in the clonus score. Also, there was no significant difference in the post intervention scores of modified Ashworth scale, deep tendon reflex and clonus score between the two groups. Discussion: This study provides evidence that both agonist electrical stimulation and antagonist electrical stimulations are equally effective in reducing spasticity in triceps surae muscle in patients with spinal cord injury.