Mental techniques during manual stretching in spasticity — a pilot randomized controlled trial

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and effects of using motor imagery during therapeutic stretching in individuals with spasticity.Design: Randomized single-blind controlled pilot trial.Setting: Chronic day care unit, neurological rehabilitation unit and in the community.Subjects: Eleven individuals with spasticity in the arm requiring stretching as part of their normal routine.Interventions: In addition to their normal stretching routine, subjects in the experimental group received motor imagery during their stretches (n = 6). The control group received progressive muscle relaxation during their stretches (n = 5). The dose varied between 8 and 56 sessions over eight weeks.Main measures: Resistance to passive movement, measured with a torque transducer, passive range of movement, measured with an electro-goniometer, Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and level of discomfort during the MAS were assessed at baseline and after eight weeks by an independent assessor. These measures were recorded before and aft...