Effectiveness of focal muscle vibration on hemiplegic upper extremity spasticity in individuals with stroke: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: The upper extremity spasticity following stroke limits individuals' activities of daily living. Focal muscle vibration (FMV) is a device producing vibration signals affecting the central nervous system.OBJECTIVE: This systematic review was conducted to investigate the effects of FMV on individuals with stroke, and to identify the effective training protocol in reducing upper extremities spasticity post-stroke.METHODS: We searched in SCOPUS, PEDro, PUBMED, REHABDATA, and Web of Science for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and pseudo-RCTs published in English. The outcome measure included is the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS). The methodological quality of the included trials was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's instrument. Effect sizes were calculated.RESULTS: Eight articles published from 2012 to 2019 were included in this systematic review. A total of 268 post-stroke patients, 28.73% of which were females, were included in all studies. The methodological quality for included studies ranged from moderate to high. FMV showed some evidence in reducing hemiplegic upper extremity spasticity in patients with stroke.CONCLUSIONS: The FMV may be an efficient intervention in reducing upper extremity spasticity in the stroke population. The efficient treatment protocol and dosage remain unclear. Additional randomized controlled trials are strongly needed to study the effects of FMV on spasticity in individuals with stroke.