• Gongwei Jia, Jingxi Ma, Sanrong Wang, Dandong Wu, Botao Tan, Ying Yin, Lang Jia, and Li Cheng.
• Department of Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
• J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2020 Mar 1; 29 (3): 104591.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the long-term effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on post-stroke spasticity.Data SourcesAn electronic search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) with hand search of relevant papers were performed on 20 June 2019.Review MethodsThis study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched the literature for randomized controlled trials of ESWT in stroke patients with spasticity. The primary outcome was the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) grade, and the second outcomes were the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), range of motion (ROM) of joint, the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) grade and adverse events. Two authors independently extracted data, assessed trial eligibility and risk of bias. Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan 5.3 software.ResultsWe extracted data from 8 randomized controlled trials (301 participants). At long-term follow-up, ESWT significantly reduced MAS (Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) = -.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -.53 to -.19, I2 = 68%; P < .001) and VAS (WMD = -.94, 95% CI = -1.51 to -.37, I2 = 15%; P = .001), enhanced ROM (WMD = 5.97, 95% CI = 2.76 to 9.18, I2 = 0%; P < .001) and FMA (WMD = 1.26, 95% CI = .29 to 2.24, I2 = 96%; P = .01).ConclusionsESWT showed long-term effects in relieving spasticity, while reducing pain, enhancing ROM and motor function in stroke patients.Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

37 keywords...

hide…