OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficiency of electrical stimulation in combination with Bobath techniques in the prevention of inferior and anterior shoulder subluxation in acute stroke patients. DESIGN: A prospective randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Intensive care unit and inpatient clinics of neurology in a university hospital. SUBJECTS: Forty-eight patients with acute stroke, divided equally into control and study groups. INTERVENTION: Subjects in both groups were treated in accordance with the Bobath concept during the early hospitalization period. In addition to Bobath techniques, electrical stimulation was also applied to the supraspinatus muscle, mid and posterior portions of the deltoid muscle of patients in the study group. MAIN MEASURES: Two radiological methods were used to measure the horizontal, vertical and total asymmetry and vertical distance values of the shoulder joint. Motor functions of the arm were evaluated with the Motor Assessment Scale. RESULTS: The hospitalization period was 12.62 +/- 2.24 days for the control group and 11.66 +/- 1.88 days for the study group. Shoulder subluxation occurred in 9 (37.5%) subjects in the control group, whereas it was not observed in the study group. All shoulder joint displacement values were higher in the control group than in the study group (horizontal asymmetry p = 0.0001, vertical asymmetry p = 0.0001, total asymmetry p = 0.0001, vertical range p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Application of electrical stimulation combined with the Bobath approach proved to be efficient in preventing inferior and anterior shoulder subluxation in the acute stages of stroke.

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