Direct myofascial release reduces shoulder muscle spasticity after stroke: a quasi-experimental study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17267/2238-2704rpf.2025.e6249Keywords:
Stroke, Myofascial Release Therapy, Muscle Spasticity, Quality of LifeAbstract
INTRODUCTION: Stroke, a complication that affects motor function and reduces quality of life, can lead to spasticity. Myofascial release (MFR) is a protected low load stretch technique used to reduce muscle spasticity and tightness. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of the direct myofascial release (MFR) technique on spasticity of shoulder muscle, sensorimotor functions and quality of life in patients with chronic stroke (≥6 months). METHODS AND MATERIALS: This quasi-experimental one-group pre-test post-test study involved 14 chronic stroke patients who had shoulder muscle spasticity. Participants underwent direct MFR applied to the subscapularis, pectoralis major, teres major, and latissimus dorsi, with sessions lasting 30-35 minutes, 3 times a week for 2 weeks. Pre- and post-assessments were done by using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) for spasticity, Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) for motor function, and Indian Stroke Scale (ISS) for quality of life. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 49.9 ± 7.96, with mean time since stroke of 24.93 ± 29.11 months. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated statistically significant improvements across all outcome measures: MAS (p = 0.001), FMA-UE (p = 0.001), and ISS (p = 0.001). Correspondingly, effect size analysis using Cohen’s d demonstrated clinically meaningful changes, with large effect sizes observed for MAS (d = 1.4), FMA-UE (d = 1.86), and ISS (d = 1.07). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that two-weeks direct myofascial release therapy is efficacious for reducing spasticity and improving motor function, and quality of life in chronic stroke participants. However, the small sample size and lack of a control group interpretation should be done carefully. Further randomized controlled trials are needed.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Saliha Rafat, Adarsh Kumar Srivastav
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
