Shockwave for Elbow and Wrist Spasticity in People With Spinal Cord Injury

Part of paid clinical trials in West Orange, New Jersey.

Sponsor
Kessler Foundation
Study ID
NCT07501429
Phase
PHASE1
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Shockwave Therapy
  • Spasticity
  • Spinal Cord Injury

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Focused extracorporeal shockwave therapy — DEVICE
    Three sessions of focused extracorporeal shockwave therapy, applied to forearm and elbow flexor muscles.

Study Details

Approximately 305,000 people live with a spinal cord injury (SCI) in the United States. Sixty percent of these individuals have tetraplegia, which can cause significant dysfunction of the arms and hands. One of the consequences of SCI is spasticity - involuntary activation of muscles that can hinder bodily functions and negatively affect participation in various aspects of life. Spasticity can lead to loss of functional independence and activity limitations, cause pain, and lead to mood disorders like depression. It can even interfere with rehabilitation and lead to hospitalization. In people with tetraplegia, spasticity of the arms and hands can have a tremendous impact on independence and quality of life, and thus regaining function in these areas remains a top priority. Unfortunately, spasticity is difficult to treat. Common treatments include physical therapy, including exercise or stretching; medications such as Baclofen; and injections with agents like botulinum toxin (also known as Botox). Botox injections are often implemented alongside other modalities like therapy, yet they are invasive, tend to last for only a few months, and carry potential side effects. One potential non-invasive treatment for upper limb spasticity is focused extracorporeal shockwave therapy (f-ESWT), which involves an external application of high-pressure sound waves, similar to ultrasound. An applicator/handpiece is placed on the skin over the spastic muscle and the focused sound waves are applied. f-ESWT carries no long-term side effects with minimal discomfort during application. However, there has been limited research on this treatment option in people with SCI who have arm and hand dysfunction caused by spasticity. The purpose of this study is to fill in that knowledge gap. This will be accomplished by measuring different aspects of spasticity from the perspective of both the clinician and the person with SCI. These will include clinical measures, such as elbow and wrist range of motion, as well as how the treatment impacts the person's functional independence and quality of life. Ultrasound methods will be used to look at the person's muscles to see if any beneficial changes occur in their structure and stiffness. People with SCI who meet eligibility criteria will be invited to the laboratory to receive f-ESWT, which will occur once per week for three consecutive weeks. Treatment will entail application of f-ESWT to the elbow and wrist flexor muscles. Participants will be invited back to the laboratory to have their spasticity measured by a clinician, be asked questions about how their spasticity has impacted their lives, and have their muscles imaged with ultrasound. Findings from this study are expected to generate insight on whether f-ESWT could be a viable treatment option for spasticity of the arms and hands in people with SCI, and if a larger clinical trial is warranted.

Key Dates

Start date
Apr 30, 2026
Status verified
Mar 2026
Primary completion
Sep 30, 2028
Completion
Dec 31, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment
12 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Treatment
    Elbow and Wrist Flexor Focused Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy

Primary Outcome Measure

Change in Modified Ashworth Scale scores [ Time Frame: 4 weeks ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Kessler FoundationWest OrangeNew Jersey07052
Shalaka Paranjpe
[email protected]
973-327-3572
Nathan Hogaboom, PhD (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

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By research site
Kessler Foundation· West Orange, NJ

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