Application of complex medical rehabilitation in patients in the late recovery period after acute cerebrovascular accident

Abstract

Many observations have shown a close relationship between post-stroke spasticity and pain syndrome due to stroke; with regard to that, in 72% of patients, spasticity was accompanied by pain and only 1,5% of patients experienced pain in the absence of spasticity.Purpose of the study: to substantiate the inclusion of combined physiotherapy methods, i. e. low-frequency electrostatic massage and broadband modulation currents, and multimodal physiotherapy methods from the Alpha LED Oxy Light — Spa™ device, in the standard complex of medical rehabilitation to relieve pain and reduce spasticity in the late recovery period in patients who have undergone acute cerebrovascular accident. Material and methods: the paper presents the data on the inclusion of various physiotherapy methods in the rehabilitation program in the late recovery period in 120 patients with spasticity of the upper limb who underwent acute cerebrovascular accident. The dynamics of pain syndrome intensity were assessed according to the Numerical Pain Rating Scale and the Verbal Descriptor Scale, and the severity of spasticity in the upper limb was evaluated according to the Modified Ashworth Spasticity Scale. All patients were divided into 3 groups comparable in terms of clinical and functional characteristics: group 1 (40 patients), who, in addition to the standard treatment complex (exercise therapy, medical massage, mechanotherapy), were prescribed massage with a pulsed low-frequency electrostatic field from the HIVAMAT device and broadband modulation currents; group 2 (40 patients), whose therapy included physiotherapy methods from the Alpha LED Oxy Light — Spa™ device, against the background of standard therapy and medical rehabilitation; group 3 — 40 patients who received standard drug therapy and medical rehabilitation. Results. Inclusion of pulsed low-frequency electrostatic massage and broadband modulation currents in medical rehabilitation of patients with spasticity of the upper limb who have undergone acute cerebrovascular accident in the late recovery period contributes to the formation of analgesic and antispasmodic effects to a greater extent, compared to the Alpha LED Oxy Light — Spa™ multimodal effects, which is manifested in a significant reduction in pain and a decrease in spasticity.