Disability and rehabilitation
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Purpose: To evaluate the effects and to compare transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation protocols, alone or as additional therapy in chronic post-stroke spasticity through a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Methods: Search was conducted in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and Physiotherapy Evidence Database through November 2017 (CRD42015020146). Two independent reviewers performed articles selection, data extraction and methodological quality assessment using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. ⋯ Implications for RehabilitationTranscutaneous electrical nerve stimulation as additional treatment to physical interventions can lead to additional reduction in chronic post-stroke spasticity. High and low frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation showed similar results, with a smaller numerical superiority of low frequency TENS. More studies are needed to substantiate the best protocol of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to the treatment of spasticity.