Background: Stroke patients encounter spasticity and marked motor impairment.
Objective: The primary purpose of this research is to discover the effectiveness of eccentric resistance training in reducing spasticity of quadriceps muscles of paretic limb and thereby reduce disability after stroke.
Methods: A total of 30 patients of adult post ischemic stroke participated in the study. They were given eccentric resistance training for a period of 6 weeks with initial resistance 20% of their respective 1RM. A 10% increment of resistance was done at the end of every 2 weeks by isokinetic dynamometer. Resistive Positional peak torque (RPT), Average Peak Torque (APT), Modified Asworth Score (MAS) and Modified Rankin Score (MRS) was assessed before and after 6weeks of interventions.
Results: In response to eccentric resistance training all the patients showed significant reduction in MAS score, after 6 weeks of interventions. There was significant difference in resistive peak torque and average peak torque (dependent t ≤ 0.05). Similarly Modified Rankin Score and Modified Asworth score showed significant improvement (p≤0.05). Overall improvement in motor function was noted in all patients after the completion of intervention.
Conclusion: Eccentric resistance training can be useful in reducing spasticity of quadriceps in ischemic stroke patients. It is quite safe and can be added to post stroke intervention protocol to improve gait in persons with ischemic stroke.
Keywords: Persons with Ischemic Stroke, Eccentric Training, Resistive Peak Torque, Average Peak Torque.
