Effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for wrist rehabilitation after acute ischemic stroke

This study investigated the effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for patients with wrist dysfunction after acute ischemic stroke (AIS). A total of 82 patient cases with wrist dysfunction after AIS were selected in this study. Of these, 41 cases in the intervention group received physical training and NMES treatment. The other 41 cases in the control group received physical training only. The primary outcome was measured by Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) score. The secondary outcomes were measured by the Barthel Index (BI), and numerical rating scale (NRS). After 4-week treatment, patients in the intervention group neither improved arm function recovery, measured by ARAT score (P = .79), and activities of daily living, measured by BI scale (P = .62), nor reduced pain, measured by the NRS scale (P = .11), compared with patients in the control group. The results of this study demonstrated that NMES might not benefit for patients with wrist dysfunction after AIS after 4-week treatment.