NCT07119801Recruiting
Clinical and Ultrasonographic Evaluation of the Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) in Post-Stroke Spasticity
Clinical and Ultrasonographic Evaluation of the Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) in Post-Stroke Spasticity: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 25 Aug 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
This research evaluate the effectiveness of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) for treating spasticity in the wrist flexor muscles (flexor carpi ulnaris - FCU and flexor carpi radialis - FCR) of chronic stroke patients. Spasticity, a common complication after a stroke, causes muscle stiffness, pain, and functional limitation, leading to increased healthcare costs and a lower quality of life. Current treatments like medication and injections have significant drawbacks, such as side effects and high costs, creating a need for new, non-invasive, and effective methods. The study highlights that traditional methods for assessing spasticity, like the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), are subjective. It proposes using objective, non-invasive ultrasound techniques-specifically strain elastography (to measure muscle stiffness) and echogenicity (to assess muscle tissue quality)-for a more reliable evaluation. The primary goal of this research is to be the first to investigate the short- and long-term effects of ESWT on the FCR and FCU muscles using these objective ultrasound measures alongside traditional clinical scales. The findings are expected to help standardize ESWT treatment protocols and promote the use of objective ultrasound data for the management and follow-up of post-stroke spasticity.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 32 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 6 Aug 2025
- Start date
- 5 Sept 2025
- Primary completion date
- 20 Apr 2026
- Lead sponsor
- Pamukkale University
- Diseases
- Stroke
- NCT number
- NCT07119801
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 32
- From 5 Sept 2025 to the primary completion date, 20 Apr 2026
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Patients who have received botulinum toxin or phenol nerve block injections within the last 6 months
Other illness
- History of more than one stroke episode
- Stroke onset more than ten years ago
- Stroke onset less than 6 months ago
- Contraindications for ESWT (e.g., cancer, local tumor or active infection in the treatment area, pregnancy, coagulation disorders, pacemaker or other electronic/metallic implants)
- Medically unstable patients (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or severe cardiac, hepatic, or renal disease)
Age
- Age over 65 (to limit the effects of aging on muscle structure)
Other
- Severe aphasia or serious communication problems
- Presence of fixed contracture in the wrist
Who the study is looking for
- Age between 35 and 65 years.
- First-ever stroke episode confirmed by MRI and/or CT scan.
- Clinical diagnosis of hemiplegia.
- More than 6 months post-stroke.
- A Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score between 1 and 3 for wrist flexor spasticity.
Age in the registry: 35 years to 65 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pamukkale University Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Denizli | Turkey (Türkiye) | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.