The effects of vibroacoustic therapy on range of motion and spasticity levels of post-stroke patients in a long term care setting

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vibroacoustic therapy on range of motion and spasticity levels of post-stroke patients in a long term care setting. Six subjects participated in passive range of motion (PROM) engagement across six sessions. Each subject received all three conditions two times across the sessions, therefore receiving each condition twice. Condition A consisted of vibroacoustic therapy (VA) prior to PROM engagement and silence during PROM engagement, condition B consisted of silence prior to PROM engagement and VA therapy during PROM engagement, and condition C consisted of silence prior to and during PROM engagement. The Ashworth Scale was used in both pre and posttest to measure resting posture levels and a goniometer was used in both pre and posttests to measure range of motion. Analyses of data revealed that VA therapy during PROM engagement was significantly more effective than silence prior to and during PROM engagement for elbow range of motion scores. Results also indicated that both conditions of VA therapy were more effective than silence for shoulder abduction scores. The physical benefits indicated by the data suggest potential outcomes from further studies with a larger sample size.