Effects of Touch Massage in the Sub-acute Phase After Stroke

Umeå University50 enrolled

Overview

The aim is to study effects of touch massage in the sub-acute phase after stroke in two main areas; general health and independence.The hypothesis are that; touch massage in the sub-acute phase after stroke decreases anxiety and pain, increases health related-quality of life, decrease physiological stress responses, increase sensorimotor function, decrease disability, and increase activity in sensorimotor areas and decrease redundant brain activity in motor-related areas.

Despite high quality stroke care in Sweden, decreased sensorimotor function, anxiety and pain remains one year after stroke and lead to impaired health and dependence as well as high health care costs. It is therefore urgent to find new rehabilitation strategies. There is some knowledge about effects of touch massage among healthy and patients with ill-health conditions but no study have evaluated touch massage in the sub-acute phase of stroke. Therefore the aim in this project is to study effects of t touch massage in the sub-acute phase after stroke in two main areas; general health and independence.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Stroke

Interventions

Touch massagePROCEDURE

Touch massage is a gentle massage with strokes on hands, arms, feet and legs with at pressure of 2.5 N which is more gentle than Swedish massage but harder than strokes performed with a brush. The speed of the strokes is about 1-5 cm/sec. During the massage, the subjects will lie on a bed. Intervention group will receive touch massage on hands and feet and the intervention will start one week after the onset of stroke and last for 30 minutes each time, five days a week for two weeks

non-TENSOTHER

Subjects in the control group will have sham treatment which is a non-active transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (non-TENS), while they lie in bed with electrodes attached to the skin of the affected arm. The device will be manipulated in a way so that no electrical impulses will reach the electrodes. During treatment, the masseur will remain in the room without initiating any conversation.

Eligibility

Sex: ALL

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * stroke defined according to Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) and The Oxford Community Stroke Project Classification (OSPC), * impaired finger tapping on the affected side of the body, * the ability to flex the wrist 20° from substrate on affected side of the body Exclusion Criteria:individuals with * cancerous tumors, * infections with fever, * neurologic or psychiatric disease, * alcohol or drug addiction, * conditions that impede communication.

Locations (1)

Norrlands university hospital

Umeå, Sweden

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

State-Trait Anxiety Scale

Assessment of self-rated anxiety on two subscales. Traits are stable over time and not sensitive to occasional stressors. States are sensitive for occasional stressors assessing current emotional state

Time frame: 2 month

Secondary Outcomes

VAS

To assess self-rated pain

Time frame: 2 weeks

Nottingham Health Profile

This is a self-rating scale which assess Health related quality of life

Time frame: 2 weeks

ECG

evaluate heart rate variability which reflects activity in the autonomic nervous system

Time frame: 2 weeks

Salivary cortisol

To assess effects on stress responses

Time frame: 2 weeks

Blood pressure

to assess effects on stress responses

Time frame: 2 weeks

Shape Texture Identification Test

will be used to assess touch discrimination

Time frame: 2 month

Box and Blocks

will be used to test gross dexterity

Time frame: 2 month

Nine Hole Peg

will be used to test fine motor dexterity,

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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