The effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on clinical improvement in hemiplegic lower extremity rehabilitation in chronic stroke: A single-blind, randomised, controlled trial

Objective. In this study, the effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) was evaluated in lower extremity rehabilitation in patients with chronic stroke. Method. The study enrolled 40 patients with chronic stroke. Twenty patients each were assigned to the treatment group and the control group. All patients received a conventional rehabilitation program for a 4-week period. In addition to this rehabilitation program, patients in the treatment group received NMES treatment for hemiplegic foot dorsiflexor muscles for 4 weeks, 5 days a week. The sessions were performed as one session per day and added to a total of 20 sessions. Clinical parameters were evaluated before and after the treatment. Results. Pre-treatment and post-treatment evaluations showed a significant increase in ankle dorsiflexion and a significant decrease in the level of spasticity in the treatment group (p<0.05); however, there were no significant differences in the control group between the pre-treatment and post-treatment measures. Although Brunnstrom Stage, Rivermead leg and trunk score and Functional Independence Measurement motor subscore showed a significant improvement in pre-and post-treatment comparisons for both groups, the treatment group's scores were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05). Functional Ambulation Categories showed a significant improvement in both groups following the treatment; however, there was no significant difference between the two groups (p>0.05). Conclusions. Use of NMES in hemiplegic foot dorsiflexion can contribute to the clinical improvement of patients when used in combination with rehabilitation programs.