Eperisone compared to physiotherapy on muscular tone of stroke patients: a prospective randomized open study.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the effects of Eperisone, a muscle relaxant and physiotherapy on the muscular tone after stroke.

METHODS

Twenty six (26) patients were included from age 15 to 75 years in an open prospective randomized study of three weeks duration and were treated with either Eperisone (n=13) or were advised to undergo formal physiotherapy (n=13) at the department of physiotherapy PIMS. The end point was observed in the form of change in the grade of tone. Safety and tolerability was assessed on the basis of adverse events.

RESULTS

Eperisone was found to be comparable to physiotherapy in reducing the spasticity in patients after stroke and improved the grade of tone from 3-2 (n=2), 4-3 (n=2), 2-1 (n=2). The safety analysis showed persistent vomiting (n=1), fatigue (n=1), headache and dry mouth (n=2), epigastric pain (n=1) and slight changes in blood pressure under Eperisone which was generally well tolerated by the patients.

CONCLUSION

Eperisone was found to be comparable to physiotherapy in its effects to improve spasticity in patients after stroke (p>0.05).