Comparison of Two Treatment Methods on Hand Dexterity of Post Hemiplegia Stroke: Movement Therapy and Electrotherapy

Hemiplegia after stroke is the most common cause of dexterity disorder in adults, which is associated with impairment in daily life activities. The aim of the present study was comparative assessment of the effects of movement therapy and electrotherapy on dexterity.

In the present clinical trial with before-after design, 16 patients with post-stroke hemiplegia received 36 sessions of treatment. Hand gross dexterity was measured using Minnesota instrument prior to, and 18th and 36th sessions after the intervention. Shapiro Wilk test, paired t-test, and Pierson correlation were used to analyze the data.

The significant increase of hand gross dexterity was noticed between before and 18th, 18th and 36th, and also before and 36th sessions after intervention in movement therapy group (p

The present study showed that movement therapy is effective in increasing hand dexterity all the time. But the continuation of electrotherapy has reverse effects on it.