Session Information
Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Session Title: Spasticity
Session Time: 1:45pm-3:15pm
Location: Les Muses Terrace, Level 3
Objective: To assess how spinal manipulation influences muscle tone of the limbs
Background: Muscle spasticity is an important clinical syndrome of many diseases, namely Parkinsons, post-stroke, post-traumatic, Cerebral palsy (CP). Resent research indicates the possible influence of spinal manipulation, a therapeutic intervention in which a low-amplitude high-velocity impulse of force is applied to the spinal joints, on muscle spasticity. Studies on animal models, electrophysiological H-reflex studies, and clinical observations provide data supporting this hypothesis. The aim of our study was to investigate the short-term influence of spinal manipulation on wrist muscle spasticity and manual dexterity in patients with spasticity in a randomized controlled trial.
Method: After baseline examination, 78 patients with spasticity (7 to 19 years, mean 11) without contractures or hyperkinetic syndrome were randomly allocated into two groups. Experimental groups underwent spinal manipulation, control group – imitation of the manipulation. Second evaluation was performed 5 minutes after intervention. Wrist muscle spasticity was gauged quantitatively with Neuroflexor, a device measuring resistance to passive movements of different velocities. Manual dexterity was evaluated by the Box and Blocks Test. Nonparametric statistics were used.
Results: In the experimental group, muscle spasticity reduced by 2.18 newton: from median 5.53 with interquartile range (IQR) 8.66 to 3.35 (IQR=7.19), the difference was statistically significant (p=0.002). In the control group reduction in spasticity was negligible. The between-group difference in change of muscle spasticity was statistically significant (p=0.034). Improvement of manual dexterity was not statistically significant (p=0.28).
Conclusion: This study indicates that spinal manipulation causes reduction of muscle spasticity in the upper limbs. Long-term effects of spinal manipulation on muscle spasticity have to be studied.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
L. Shestopalova, T. Voloshyn. Influence of the spinal manipulation on muscle spasticity: a randomized controlled trial [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2019; 34 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/in%ef%ac%82uence-of-the-spinal-manipulation-on-muscle-spasticity-a-randomized-controlled-trial/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to 2019 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/in%ef%ac%82uence-of-the-spinal-manipulation-on-muscle-spasticity-a-randomized-controlled-trial/