The study, developed as part of the doctoral thesis of physiotherapist Míriam Tur, provides new evidence on the use of shock waves in addressing spasticity in people with cerebral palsy.
The international and high-impact scientific journal Frontiers in Neurology has published a new clinical trial developed at the Aspace Catalunya Foundation on the application of radial shock wave therapy (rESWT) in people with cerebral palsy. The study was led by physiotherapist Míriam Tur, a professional at the Foundation, as part of her doctoral thesis carried out at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
The publication represents a new milestone for the line of research that Aspace Catalunya has been promoting for years in the field of neurological rehabilitation, with the aim of generating scientific evidence that contributes to improving treatments and the quality of life of people with cerebral palsy.
A question that arises from clinical practice
Spasticity is one of the most common motor disorders in cerebral palsy and can limit mobility, cause pain and promote the appearance of muscle contractions and deformities.
In recent years, radial shockwave therapy has been established as a non-invasive and safe alternative for its treatment. However, there was still an unanswered question: is it necessary to always apply the sessions with a one-week interval or can they be spaced out more without losing effectiveness? This is the question that motivated this clinical trial.
Reduction of muscle hyperresistance and mobility
The study included 72 people with spastic cerebral palsy , who received three treatment sessions with intervals of one, two or four weeks . Over six months, the researchers analyzed the clinical evolution of the participants.
The results show that all protocols achieved significant improvements , regardless of the time between sessions. Participants presented an improvement in the extensibility of the triceps surae muscles, with a decrease in muscle hyperresistance during passive stretching . These improvements also translated into better functionality , with a positive evolution in both walking tests and in the participants' overall mobility.
Another of the most outstanding contributions of the study is that age was identified as a key factor in the response to treatment . Children obtained a significantly higher therapeutic response than adults, a result that had not previously been described in the scientific literature on the application of shock waves in people with cerebral palsy.
This finding reinforces the importance of intervening early , taking advantage of a stage in which the muscle retains a greater capacity for adaptation and remodeling.
The study also concludes that spacing sessions more widely does not reduce the benefits of treatment. This flexibility may facilitate the organization of rehabilitation programs and better adapt them to the needs of people with cerebral palsy and their families , without compromising clinical outcomes.
Research to continue moving forward
For Míriam Tur, principal investigator of the study, "research makes sense when it answers questions that arise from day-to-day work with patients and ends up returning this knowledge to clinical practice. This work allows us to understand a little better how to optimize treatments and opens new lines of research on the most appropriate time to intervene in cerebral palsy."
This clinical trial is part of the doctoral project that the researcher has been developing for several years and continues a line of research initiated at the Aspace Catalunya Foundation on the application of shock waves to address spasticity.
The publication in Frontiers in Neurology , one of the leading international journals in neurology , represents recognition of the scientific quality of the work carried out and reinforces the commitment of Fundació Aspace Catalunya to evidence-based rehabilitation, innovation and continuous improvement of care for people with cerebral palsy.
Consult the full scientific article in Frontiers in Neurology : Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy for the management of spasticity in cerebral palsy: a randomized controlled trial with different time intervals between sessions
