Application of the massage therapy and physiotherapy to reduce muscle spasticity for the individuals who had experienced a stroke

The relevance of research: Stroke is the second most common cardiovascular disease in Lithuania, often ending in death (Hygiene Institute. Health Statistics 2015). According to recent studiesy, 19 percent of people who have suffered from a stroke, will have crumbs within 3 months (38 percent.) and within 12 months after a stroke (Sommerfeld et al., 2004). Therapeutic massage reduces muscle spasticity. In the long term, therapeutic massage reduces muscle / tendon shortening and contracture formation. The muscle pain, swelling and , hardening that result from intense work will disappear faster by applying the massage therapy. . Massage improves blood circulation in the muscle and its oxidative and restorative processes (Finkelšteinaitė et al., 2008). The study objective: To assess the effectiveness of the massage and physical therapy in reducing muscle spasticity for people who had experienced a cerebral stroke. The methods used in the study: The study involved an investigation of two groups of people: a massage group and a physical therapy group. The subjects of the massage group haves received 10 massage treatments of the duration of 35 minutes. The massages were performed following the recomendations of the book by Valuziene et al. (2008) \"Massage for ill and disabled people“. (Valuziene et al., 2008). The subjects were evaluated according to the pain scale (SAS) and the Roland-Morris disability questionnaire before the first massage, after the fifth, and, at the end of the last massage. The modified Ashworth'o Scale (Modified Ashworth scale) was used to assess the levels of muscle tone spasticity before and after the massage theraphy. To the subjects of the physical therapy treatment group, 10 physical therapy sessions lasting 30 minutes were applied. The physical therapy group was examined in the same way as the massge group: before the first massage, after the fifth and, lastly, at the end of the last massage. The subjects were evaluated according to the pain scale (SAS) and the Roland-Morris disability questionnaire. The modified Ashworth'o Scale (Modified Ashworth scale ) was used to assess the levels of muscle tone spasticity before and after the massage theraphy. Objectives: 1. To assess the muscle spasticity of the patients with affected limbs (arms and legs) before and after the massage therapy or physioherapy. 2. To assess the pain experieanced by patients before and after the massage therapy or physiotherapy. 3. To assess the functional state and improvements of the affected limbs (arms and legs) after the massage therapy or physiotherapy. Conclusions: 1. The analysis and tests carried out to assess the muscle spasticity have , shown that there were no changes in the spasticity of the damaged limbs of those who have suffered from a brain stroke, Massage therapy and physical therapy did not reduce the muscle spasticity in arms or feet. 2. The applied massage therapy has reduced the intensity of pain felt by the individuals who have suffered a brain stroke. After the massage and physical therapy, pain dropped from unbearable to moderate for the majority of the subjects in the groups (resulting in a statistically significant value (p 0.05), . The improvement of the legs’ functional state, however, has been shown statistically significant (p