BACKGROUND: Electrical deep muscle stimulate as a local vibration therapy can relieve pain and functional limitation due to injury, lactic acid buildup, or inter-fascial adhesions caused by exertion or pulling, but few studies have reported on its anti-spasticity effects. OBJECTIVE(S): To observe the effect of electrical deep muscle stimulate (DMS) on muscle tone, stiffness, and elasticity of biceps brachii in stroke patients. METHOD(S): A total of 60 stroke patients with hemiplegia, who met the inclusion criteria, were randomly divided into control group (n = 20), stretch group (n = 20) and DMS group (n = 20). All of the three groups were given routine rehabilitation and drug treatments. Biceps brachii of the hemiplegic side was stretched for 10 minutes, once a day, five times per week, for 3 continuous weeks in the stretch group. The DMS group was given DMS in the state of biceps brachii stretched, 10 minutes once, five times per week, for 3 continuous weeks. The Modified Tardieu Scale scores, the content of shoulder and elbow of Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale (FMA) scores and the Myoton-3 parameters were recorded before, immediately after the first intervention and after 3 weeks of treatment. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University (approval number (2019)181). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION(S): Immediately after the first intervention, the oscillation frequency (F), logarithmic decrement (D), and dynamic stiffness (S) of biceps brachii, the angle of catch following a fast velocity stretch biceps brachii (R1) and the quality of biceps brachii reaction (X) in both stretch group and DMS group were significantly lower than those before treatment (p < 0.05). The start angle of elbow flexion (R) in the DMS group was significantly lower than that before treatment and the FMA scores of the upper limb in the DMS group were significantly higher than those before treatment (p < 0.05). After 3 weeks of treatment, the oscillation frequency, logarithmic decrement, and dynamic stiffness of biceps brachii, the start angle of elbow flexion (R), the angle of catch following a fast velocity stretch biceps brachii (R1) and the quality of biceps brachii reaction (X) in all groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (p < 0.05), while the FMA scores of the upper limb in all groups were significantly higher than those before treatment (p < 0.05). Immediately after the first intervention, the oscillation frequency and dynamic stiffness of biceps brachii were lower in the stretch group than in the control group (p < 0.05), but after 3 weeks of treatment, all parameters did not show significant difference between the stretch group and control group (p > 0.05). Immediately after the first intervention, all parameters did not show significant difference between the stretch group and the DMS group (p > 0.05), but after 3 weeks of treatment, the oscillation frequency, logarithmic decrement, dynamic stiffness of biceps brachii, the angle of catch following a fast velocity stretch biceps brachii (R1) and the quality of biceps brachii reaction (X) were lower in the DMS group than the stretch group, while the FMA scores of the upper limb were significantly higher in the DMS group than the stretch group (p < 0.05). Immediately after the first intervention, the oscillation frequency and dynamic stiffness of biceps brachii were lower in the DMS group than the control group (p < 0.05), and after 3 weeks of treatment, all parameters were significantly improved in the DMS group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). To conclude, electrical DMS combined with routine rehabilitation treatment can effectively reduce muscle tone and stiffness, promote elasticity of biceps brachii and improve the motor function of the upper limb in stroke patients.

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