Stroke Pilot Study Links EMS To A 34% Drop In Stretch Pain

A 2023 peer-reviewed pilot study tested whether EMS — electrical stimulation — may ease tight biceps after chronic MCA stroke. R. Shaik, K. R. Jyothi, and Prof. Dr. P. Sasikala, M.D., enrolled 11 adults aged 40–60. Five had triceps motor-point EMS. Six had biceps tendon-junction EMS. Both groups did 30 contractions, five days a week, for four weeks. Scientists measured H-reflex, F/M ratio, and stretch VAS. Both methods improved. Junction EMS led: H-reflex 24.59 to 32.05, F/M ratio 8.46 to 4.99, VAS 8.77 to 5.77 (p < 0.0001). Those numbers suggest structured EMS may help some stroke arms feel less tight and less painful to stretch. The paper is public and indexed. Read the full post for settings, tables, and limits. https://oriems.fit/blogs/research-digest/ems-stroke-biceps-spasticity-pilot-study