Post-Stroke Conditions and How ARPwave Can Help

A stroke can have a lasting impact on a person’s mobility, strength, and overall quality of life. The recovery process is often long and challenging, particularly for those living in rural areas where access to specialized rehabilitation programs is limited. Emerging therapies, like ARPwave, offer new hope for improving recovery outcomes. A recent case study conducted by Nick J. Siekirk, Lisa Niles-Meunier, Nisha Patel, Jacob Bannister, and Robin Rosser, from Georgia Southern University and Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation in Savannah, explores the potential of ARPwave therapy in chronic stroke recovery. The findings suggest that ARPwave therapy can significantly improve motor function, mobility, and post-stroke recovery even in long-term stroke survivors. Furthermore, this case study offers a solid foundation and motivation for conducting further experiments. 

Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Challenges

Stroke survivors often experience a range of disabilities that affect their ability to perform daily tasks. These include motor impairments such as weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, difficulty with balance, impaired walking, and limitations in range of motion (ROM). Additionally, cognitive issues, speech impairments, and emotional challenges such as depression and anxiety can further complicate recovery. The type of disability sustained post-stroke is determined by the stroke type, location, and severity. 

While traditional rehabilitation methods, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, are vital in helping survivors regain function, they may not always provide the same level of progress for those who are years post-stroke. In some cases, the misconception that recovery slows or stops after a certain period can lead to a plateau in functional improvements. Particularly, for those in the chronic stage of recovery, ongoing physical therapy or occupational therapy is not the norm. For those fortunate enough to have access, the total number of sessions is often limited. Therefore, ARPwave, in conjunction with focused exercise may provide clinicians an opportunity to manage therapy and recovery time more effectively. This highlights the need for alternative therapies that can complement traditional rehabilitation techniques and provide further benefits in chronic stroke rehabilitation. 

The Role of ARPwave Therapy

ARPwave is a specialized form of neuromuscular electrical stimulation that uses targeted electrical impulses to stimulate muscles and nerves, promoting muscle contractions and enhancing motor function. Unlike conventional electrical stimulation therapies, ARPwave is designed to provide a more efficient and targeted treatment that stimulates the neuromuscular system in a way that mimics natural movement patterns. This makes ARPwave a unique therapy that can improve both muscle strength and function by targeting the brain-muscle communication pathway, enhancing the body’s ability to heal itself. 

ARPwave therapy has shown potential in improving motor function, reducing pain, and enhancing postural control in stroke survivors. Anecdotal evidence suggests that at-home protocols (e.g., NeuroRecovery with the FlexDoctor) may serve to help those with ongoing concerns with spasticity or tone, especially in individuals that experience anxiety. 

Case Study on ARPwave Therapy in Chronic Stroke Recovery

DISCLAIMERS 

• Disclosure 1: The intervention was not reviewed by a local ethics committee and, as such, was not conducted with the approval of Georgia Southern University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). The participant (identifiable only by initials; R.S.) was evaluated for contraindications and informed of the potential risks before providing written and verbal consent to participate.  

• Disclosure 2: ARPwave Technologies provided the modalities (RxBlack and FlexDoctor) on loan but did not influence the intervention’s methods or findings, nor was Nick J. Siekirk provided compensation (direct or indirect). ARPwave Technologies also did not define, influence, or restrict the scientific dissemination of findings (e.g., scientific presentation or publication). 

• Disclosure 3: The intervention was conducted as part of community outreach and was supervised by Lisa Bernadette Niles-Meunier, a licensed physical therapist (Georgia License Number PT002542). 

• Disclosure 4: Findings from this case study are descriptive and cannot be interpreted as casual. Descriptive improvements must consider thresholds for clinically meaningful changes. 

The study conducted by Siekirk and colleagues investigated the effects of ARPwave therapy on a 74-year-old male stroke survivor, 10 years post-stroke. The participant, who was physically active before the stroke (walking 6,000 to 8,000 steps daily), underwent a 12-week intervention using ARPwave’s dual-wave neuromuscular electrical stimulation protocols. The aim was to assess changes in gait, mobility, postural control, and active range of motion (ROM), alongside monitoring the participant’s physical activity levels and sleep. 

Key findings from the case study include: 

1. Improvements in Gait and Mobility: 

1. 1. The participant showed significant improvements in gait, particularly in cadence (the number of steps per unit of distance). Cadence increased by 16 steps per cycle, from 145 to 161 steps per cycle. Although there were no improvements in step or stride length, the increase in cadence suggests that ARPwave therapy helped improve the overall speed of walking. 
   2. Mobility as measured by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test showed a reduction in time (-0.26 sec), and the participant also walked a longer distance on the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), increasing by 87 meters. 
   3. These improvements in mobility may originate from improvements in controlling neurological tone (i.e., inhibiting the spastic tone), recruiting the muscles responsible, psychological tolerance to stretch, or structural changes (e.g., increased muscle length that improved flexibility, reduced atrophy). 

2. Enhanced Postural Control: 

1. Postural control, measured by limits of stability (LOS), showed improvement in three key metrics: back left, back right, and total area. These results suggest that ARPwave contributed to better control in standing which may positively affect fall risk. In addition, the participant’s weight distribution improved, with a shift from 45/55 to 48/52 (left/right), indicating more weight on the left (affected) leg. 

3. Range of Motion (ROM) Improvements: 

1. The participant experienced substantial increases in active range of motion (ROM) in the affected ankle, wrist, and elbow. 
   1. Ankle dorsiflexion increased by 20° (from 16° to 33°), a significant improvement of 106% (well above the clinically meaningful threshold). 
   2. Wrist extension improved by 18° (from 54° to 72°), and elbow extension improved by 25° (from 102° to 127°). 
2. These improvements demonstrate ARPwave’s potential in enhancing both strength and flexibility in stroke survivors, aiding in the restoration of functional movement. 
3. These improvements in active range of motion may be due to improvements in mobility (e.g., an outcome that describes how far someone can move themselves) and not necessarily flexibility.  

4. Cardiovascular Response: 

1. Post-exercise blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) data revealed improvements in cardiovascular response. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) recovery improved by 4 mmHg, indicating better cardiovascular efficiency. Heart rate recovery was also faster, with HR returning to pre-exercise levels within two minutes of rest after the 6MWT, suggesting improved cardiovascular fitness. 

5. Psychological Improvements: 

1. The participant’s self-reported depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) scores improved by 5 and 4 points, respectively, suggesting that ARPwave therapy not only helped improve physical outcomes but also positively impacted the participant’s psychological well-being. 
2. Furthermore, subjective improvements in stroke recovery, as measured by the Stroke Impact Scale, were noted across several domains, including mobility, strength, and mood. These psychological benefits are crucial as they contribute to a higher quality of life and better engagement with rehabilitation efforts. 

Conclusion: ARPwave as a Promising Therapy for Stroke Recovery 

The results of this case study suggest that ARPwave therapy can be a valuable tool in chronic stroke rehabilitation, particularly for long-term survivors who may have reached a plateau with traditional rehabilitation methods. By improving motor function, mobility, postural control, range of motion, and psychological well-being, ARPwave therapy offers a comprehensive approach to stroke recovery. This case study provides evidence that ARPwave can complement existing rehabilitation techniques, helping stroke survivors continue to improve their physical and psychological health even years after the stroke event. 

Given the success of this intervention, further studies are needed to explore the long-term effects of ARPwave therapy in a larger cohort of stroke survivors. However, these initial findings offer promising insights into the potential of ARPwave to improve quality of life and functional recovery in individuals with chronic stroke. 

Cited Article: https://arpwave.com/can-dual-wave-direct-current-electrical-stimulation-improve-motor-function-in-chronic-stroke-results-of-a-longitudinal-case-study/