Electrical interferential current stimulation versus electrical acupuncture in management of hemiplegic shoulder pain and disability following ischemic stroke-a randomized clinical trial

Table 1 Baseline participants’ demographic and clinical characteristics

Variable	IFC ^a group (n = 20)	Acupuncture group (n = 20)	P-value
Age, yrs.
Mean ± SD ^b	57.55 ± 1.73	57.30 ± 3.71	0.762 †
(Min ^c - Max ^d)	(39–75)	(37–81)	0.762 †
Sex, n ^e (%) ^f
male	9 (45%)	6 (30%)	0.327 ‡
female	11 (55%)	14 (70%)	0.327 ‡
Duration of hemiplegia, from stroke onset, months
Mean ± SD	5.25 ± 0.94	4.20 ± 0.71	0.378 †
(Min - Max)	(1–12)	(1–11)	0.378 †
Duration of shoulder pain, weeks
Mean ± SD	4.50 ± 0.34	7.02 ± 0.85	0.09 †
(Min - Max)	(2–5)	(2–8)	0.09 †
Underlying diseases, n (%)
Diabetes	3(15%)	7(35%)	0.144 ‡
Hypertension	4 (20%)	9 (45%)	0.091 ‡
Heart valvular disease	2 (10%)	4 (20%)	0.661 ⁑
Affected side, n (%)
Right	12 (60%)	11 (55%)	0.740 ‡
Left	8 (40)	9(45)	0.740 ‡
Type of shoulder plegia, n (%)
Flaccid	14 (70%)	16 (80%)	0.245 ‡
Spastic	6 (30%)	4 (20%)	0.245 ‡
Modified Ashworth scale (MAS)	1.8 ± 0.53	1.5 ± 0.60	0.102†
Presence of shoulder subluxation in X-ray, n (%)	4 (20%)	6 (30%)	0.465 ⁑
SPADI ^h total score (0–130), point ± SD	99.00 ± 5.69	112.30 ± 3.42	0.052 †
Pain (0–50)	25.70 ± 3.46	33.45 ± 3.22	0.110 †
Function(0–80)	73.30 ± 3.86	78.85 ± 1.55	0.190 †
Average VAS ⁱ (0–10), point ± SD	5.25 ± 0.63	6.90 ± 2.67	0.065 †
Active ROM ^g of abduction(0–180), degree ± SD	50.25 ± 10.15	32.75 ± 8.85	0.201 †
Active ROM of flexion (0–180), degree ± SD	49.75 ± 9.77	33.75 ± 9.86	0.256 †
Active ROM of ext. ^k. rotation (0–90), degree ± SD	12.25 ± 3.41	6.75 ± 2.62	0.209 †
Active ROM of int ^l. rotation (0–90), degree ± SD	16.25 ± 3.66	8.00 ± 2.50	0.070 †

^aIFC interferential current stimulation, ^b SD standard deviation, ^CMin minimum, ^dMax maximum, ^en frequency, ^f(%) percent, ^hSPADI shoulder pain and disability index, ⁱVAS Visual analogue scale, ^gROM range of motion, ^kext. external, ^lint. internal
†Results from independent samples t-test
‡Results from Pearson Chi-square test
⁑Results from Fisher exact test

ISSN: 2057-0082