Tibetan Medicated Bathing Therapy for Patients With Post-stroke Limb Spasticity: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Abstract

To determine the short- (4 weeks) and long-term (6 month) effectiveness of Tibetan medicated bathing therapy in patients with post-stroke limb spasticity.Prospective, blinded, randomized controlled trial.Post-stroke patients with limb spasticity were recruited between December 2013 and February 2017 and randomly assigned 1:1 to a control group that received conventional rehabilitation (n = 222) or an experimental group that received Tibetan medicated bathing therapy in combination with conventional rehabilitation (n = 222).All patients received conventional rehabilitation. In addition, the experimental group received Tibetan medicated bathing therapy. The interventions were conducted 5 times per week for 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was changes from baseline after 4 weeks of therapy in muscle tone in the spastic muscles (elbow flexors, wrist flexors, finger flexors, knee extensors, ankle plantar flexors), as measured by the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS).The mean change from baseline after 4 weeks of therapy in the MAS score for the elbow flexors (P = .017), wrist flexors (P < .001), and ankle plantar flexors (P < .001) was significantly greater in patients in the experimental group compared to the control group. The benefit was maintained for 3 muscle groups (elbow flexors P < .001, wrist flexors P = .001, and ankle plantar flexors P < .001) and 6 months (elbow flexors P < .001, wrist flexors P = .002, and ankle plantar flexors P < .001) after therapy. All adverse events were mild, and no serious adverse reactions to Tibetan medicated bathing therapy were recorded.Tibetan medicated bathing therapy, in combination with conventional rehabilitation, has potential as a safe, effective treatment for the alleviation of post-stroke upper limb spasticity. Tibetan medicated bathing therapy was most advantageous for patients who had a baseline muscle tone score of 1+ to 2 on the MAS in the affected limb and recent onset of stroke (duration of the disease of 1-3 months).