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The Effect of Alpinia zerumbet Essential Oil on Post‐Stroke Muscle Spasticity
Author(s) -
Maia Maurício Oliva Nascimento,
Dantas Camila Gomes,
Xavier Filho Lauro,
Cândido Edna Aragão Farias,
Gomes Margarete Zanardo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
basic and clinical pharmacology and toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.805
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1742-7843
pISSN - 1742-7835
DOI - 10.1111/bcpt.12439
Subject(s) - spasticity , medicine , spastic , electromyography , gastrocnemius muscle , muscle contraction , hemiparesis , anesthesia , physical medicine and rehabilitation , skeletal muscle , cerebral palsy , angiography
The essential oil of Alpinia zerumbet ( EOA z) presents myorelaxant and antispasmodic actions on cardiac and smooth muscles. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of EOA z on the skeletal muscle contraction in post‐stroke spasticity. Fifteen adults with unilateral hemiparesis and spasticity resulting from stroke were submitted to surface electromyography readings of the gastrocnemius muscle, before and after 10 daily applications (dermal 0.05 mL per muscle belly) of EOA z. The healthy contralateral muscles without applying the oil were used as controls. The analysis showed that, in both lateral and medial gastrocnemius, the values of all studied variables (root mean square, maximum amplitude and median power frequency) were significantly decreased in pathological legs during muscle contraction (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.05). Moreover, spastic muscles presented different results before and after dermal application of EOA z: The mean values of root mean square and median power frequency were significantly increased in lateral and medial gastrocnemius, and also, the maximum amplitude increased in medial gastrocnemius (Mann–Whitney test, p < 0.05). The results suggest that EOA z acts in the skeletal spastic muscle contraction by promoting relaxation and improvement of the muscular performance. Thus, the EOA z can be useful for the clinical management of secondary effects in patients with cerebral vascular disease.