EFFECT OF DRY NEEDLING WITH AND WITHOUT ELECTRICAL STIMULATION IN TREATMENT OF LOWER LIMB IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC ISCHEMIC STROKE

Lower-limb spasticity after stroke restricts gait and functional independence, and adjunct interventions that reduce hypertonia while modulating segmental excitability may enhance conventional rehabilitation. This assessor-blinded, parallel-group randomized controlled trial tested whether dry needling combined with intramuscular electrical stimulation (DN+ES), integrated within conventional physical therapy (CPT), reduces spasticity, improves lower-limb motor function, and modifies soleus H-reflex indices in adults with chronic ischemic stroke. Sixty-four participants (32 per group) received 6 weeks of treatment (three sessions/week, 60 minutes). The experimental group received DN+ES twice weekly within sessions plus CPT; the control group received CPT only. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, week 3, and week 6. The primary outcome was the Modified Ashworth Scale of the index muscle; secondary outcomes included the Fugl–Meyer Assessment–Lower Extremity, soleus Hmax/Mmax ratio, and H-reflex latency. Compared with CPT, DN+ES+CPT produced larger reductions in spasticity and greater improvements in lower-limb motor function, alongside a greater decrease in Hmax/Mmax, while between-group differences in latency were not detected. These findings support DN+ES as a pragmatic adjunct that may improve the treatability of the limb and strengthen the impact of conventional rehabilitation in post-stroke spasticity.