Living with muscle stiffness, known as spasticity, after a stroke can make daily movements difficult and painful. A new review looked at what happens when patients receive a combination of two treatments: botulinum toxin type A injections and a technique called extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT).
The analysis of 377 participants found that adding shock wave therapy to the injections led to a greater reduction in muscle stiffness scores. It also showed better improvements in overall movement scores. While the combined treatment trended toward helping patients with daily activities, this specific result did not reach a standard level of statistical certainty.
It is important to note that the evidence for long-term independence is still very uncertain. Because the study looked at many different types of shock waves and different timing, the results are still in the early stages of exploration. Two people experienced temporary skin redness after the shock wave treatment, but the overall safety data is currently incomplete.
