COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF STRETCHING EXERCISES AND WEIGHT BEARING EXERCISES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF POST-STROKE SPASTICITY

Abstract

Background
Stroke is one of the most common causes of long-term disability and is frequently associated with
spasticity resulting from upper motor neuron lesions. Spasticity interferes with voluntary movement,
reduces functional ability, and limits independence in activities of daily living. Physiotherapy plays a major
role in managing spasticity and improving functional outcomes. Among the various rehabilitation
techniques, stretching exercises and weight bearing exercises are widely used to reduce muscle tone and
enhance motor recovery. However, there is still a need to determine which intervention provides greater
clinical benefit in patients with post stroke spasticity.
Objective
To compare the effectiveness of stretching exercises and weight bearing exercises in reducing spasticity
and improving health related quality of life in patients with post stroke spasticity.
Methods
A comparative experimental study was conducted on fifty patients diagnosed with post stroke spasticity.
Participants were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were divided into two groups
consisting of twenty five subjects each. Group A received stretching exercises while Group B received
weight bearing exercises. The Modified Ashworth Scale was used to assess spasticity and the Health
Related Quality of Life questionnaire was used to evaluate the well-being of the participants. Pre-treatment
and post-treatment assessments were conducted and the collected data were analyzed using statistical
methods.
Results
Both groups demonstrated improvement after the intervention period. The stretching exercise group
showed reduction in muscle tone and improvement in functional health status. However, the weight bearing
exercise group showed greater improvement in Modified Ashworth Scale scores and better improvement in
HRQOL outcomes. These findings suggest that weight bearing exercises may be more effective in
managing spasticity compared to stretching exercises alone.
Conclusion
Both stretching exercises and weight bearing exercises are beneficial in the management of post stroke
spasticity. However, weight bearing exercises demonstrated greater improvement in reducing muscle tone
and improving quality of life. Incorporating weight bearing exercises into stroke rehabilitation programs
may enhance functional recovery.