Verification of Overlapping Effects of Proprioceptive Training and Electrical Stimulation Therapy on Reducing Upper Limb Spasticity and Improving Physical Functions and Activities of Daily Living

This study aimed to investigate the superimposition effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation treatment on stroke patients’ spasticity reduction and improvement in upper limb function. In this study, 12 stroke patients who were under hospital treatment at a rehabilitation hospital were selected as subjects. Both the experimental and control groups underwent proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation treatment for 30 minutes, but the experimental group received extracorporeal shock wave therapy in the upper limb for about 10 minutes before proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. In terms of the Fugl-Meyer assessment’s wrist score, each group exhibited a statistically significant difference before and after the experiment (P<0.05). In conclusion, in extracorporeal shock wave therapy and the therapeutic superimposition effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation treatment may improve hand function in stroke patients.