| Methods |
Design: Randomised controlled trial, parallel groups.
Randomisation: 'randomised into treatment and control groups before initial assessments'.
Dropouts: None reported. |
| Participants |
n = 40.
Experimental: n = 20, 8 male, 4 right hemiparesis, mean age 71 years.
Control: n = 20, 10 male, 5 right hemiparesis, mean age 73 years.
Study criteria: (1) CVA resulted in significant motor deficit of the upper limb with grades of 2 or less on manual muscle test; (2) no previous pathology to the shoulder; (3) adequate communication ability to cope with a verbal rating score for pain; (4) no cardiac pacemaker or metal; (5) no women of childbearing age; (6) recruitment and all initial measures must have been completed and treatment commenced within 48 hours of admission to the acute stroke unit. |
| Interventions |
Duration: 4 weeks.
Experimental: Category = 7.
Stimulation of supraspinatus and posterior deltoid so that movement provided good correction of subluxation. Electrostimulation consisted of asymmetrical biphasic pulses, 300ms pulse width, 30Hz frequency, a 15 second on time incorporating a ramp up time of 3 seconds and a 15 seconds off time. Sessions were given 4 times each day with a minimum of 2 hours between sessions, for 4 weeks. The length of each session increased gradually from 30 minutes in week 1 to 60 minutes in week 4. All experimental participants also received the control intervention.
Control:
Conventional physiotherapy and occupational therapy for 4 weeks.
Comparison: electrostimulation vs no treatment. |
| Outcomes |
Baseline measurement: Before intervention.
Outcome measurement: After 4 weeks intervention.
Included outcomes: (1) Motor Assessment Scale upper arm section.
Other outcomes: (1) arm girth; (2) shoulder subluxation. |
| Notes |
|
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Allocation concealment? |
Unclear risk |
B ‐ Unclear |
