Estimulação elétrica funcional para tratar espasticidade em membro superior pós-AVC: estudo de caso

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Stroke is characterized as a chronic brain injury, of vascular origin, which causes disorders in the various body systems, causing sequelae that impact the quality of life of survivors. To minimize muscle and sensory damage caused by stroke, some rehabilitation protocols have used Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), which produces an electrical current to produce contractions of the paretic muscles. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficiency of Functional Electrical Stimulation in the antagonist muscle to the spastic and in the spastic muscle to treat spasticity in a post-stroke patient. METHODOLOGY: Descriptive case study. A woman diagnosed with ischemic stroke participated in the study. This patient underwent a single session of FES, with two different protocols, FES in the antagonistic muscle to the spastic muscle and FES in the spastic muscle. The participant was assessed using the Modified Ashworth Scale, Esthesiometry, Fugl Meyer and the Box and Blocks Manual Dexterity Test. After each intervention, the patient was reassessed using the same scales. RESULTS: The participant presented more significant changes with the use of FES in the spastic muscle, both in the motor and sensory aspects, when comparing the values of the initial evaluation to the values of the reevaluations. CONCLUSION: FES in the spastic muscle was superior to FES in the antagonist muscle to treat spasticity in the upper limb of a post-stroke patient.