Shock Wave Therapy for Spasticity

Children with cerebral palsy commonly experience spasticity (abnormal muscle tightness). Currently, a variety of treatment options including medication, physiotherapy and assistive devices are available, based on each child’s individual needs. Finding an effective treatment for spasticity can improve a child’s quality of life.

In recent years, Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) has been used to manage spasticity in both adults and children. ESWT works by applying shock waves to the targeted area of the body with the goal of reducing the stiffness of connective tissues. Although the words “shock waves” sound dangerous and scary, EWST is actually known to be non-invasive, safe and painless for patients.

In this recent paper, the authors discuss their findings after a review of multiple research studies on the effectiveness of ESWT.

Parents may wonder, is ESWT actually effective in managing spasticity in children with CP?

 

The paper says that there was a significant decrease in spasticity in the upper and lower limbs for children with CP following treatment, based on the Modified Ashworth Scale (muscle tone assessment scale). Notably, ESWT was most effective in reducing spasticity immediately after treatment, and the effects lessened as time passed. Effects of the treatment were maintained up to 12 weeks following treatment.

While the results are promising, the paper says that more clinical trials with a large sample size are needed to implement ESWT in daily clinical practice. Many existing studies have a small sample size because of the challenges of finding and recruiting a large number of individuals with spasticity. Parents interested in ESWT or other treatment options for spasticity should talk to their child’s health care provider to learn more.