*Corresponding author: Nikhil Patil Dr.Ulhas Patil College of Physiotherapy, Jalgaon ISSN: 0976-3031 Research Article TO COMPARE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONTRACTURE PREVENTIVE POSITIONING PROCEDURE FOR HEMIPLEGIC ARM WITH CONVENTIONAL THERAPY Nikhil Patil*., Kalyani Nagulkar., Neha Ingale and Sachin Chaudhary Dr.Ulhas Patil College of Physiotherapy, Jalgaon DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijrsr.2018.0903.1860 ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT The purpose of the study is to compare the effectiveness of contracture preventive positioning procedure for hemiplegic arm with conventional therapy. An experimental study was carried out with 30 stroke patients for duration of 3 weeks. 30 patients was divided into two groups i.e. group A which is control group and group B which is experimental group. For group A conventional treatment was given such as passive range of motion. Group B received passive range of motion and positioning. Passive range of motion by goniometer, Modified Ashworth scale, Burnstorm stages of recovery was use as outcome measures. Established stroke patients by means of CT and MRI, Spasticity under Ashworth scale between grade 1 to3 where included in the study were as patients on antispasticity drugs or pain reducing drugs were excluded from the study. Both the results i.e pre and post was compared with Modified Ashworth scale and Burnstorm stage of recovery scale. Conclusion it was seen that both the groups showed improvement in their respective analysis, but in between group analysis it was seen that no one group is better than the other, so we can safely presume that positioning with conventional treatment may not be only better than conventional treatment it is still as effective as conventional in improving the patient condition to prevent contracture in stroke. INTRODUCTION Stroke, also known as a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), occurs when the arteries leading to certain areas of the brain rupture (hemorrhagic stroke) or get blocked (ischemic stroke). Without sufficient oxygen supply, brain cells die. Depending on the amount of brain tissue damage, the stroke results in weakness or paralysis of the body. 1 Stroke is a major public health concern. Most of the surviving patients make incomplete recovery, and need assistance in activities of daily life (ADL).Contracture refers to the loss of joint range of motion resulting from changes in the mechanical properties of soft tissues which cross the joint. Long-term disability associated with failure to regain use of the arm is a major problem following stroke. This could involve a reduction in rest length or increase in stiffness of muscles or tendons. 3 Upper-limb contractures are common. The abnormal position of the hemiplegic hand and wrist due to spasticity and muscle contractures may interfere with daily activities and hygiene maintenance, both negatively influencing the quality of life. Different approaches are used to inhibit spasticity, prevent contractures, reduce pain and edema, or improve hygiene maintenance of the hand in stroke patients with a nonfunctional spastic upper limb. 3,4 In conjunction with contracture, resistance to passive movement and spasticity develops in some patients. Spasticity was found to be present in 26% of acute hemiparetic patients and in 28% three months after stroke. 1 Spasticity (or more specifically, hypertonus) seems to be another cofactor in the development of hemiplegic shoulder pain. 5 It is related to a decrease in joint passive range of motion and correlates both to motor impairments and limitations in activities of daily living (ADL). Post stroke contracture is a result of loss of range of motion (ROM) due to pain and wrong positioning. The proportion of patient with contracture in the hemiplegic arm approximately 5 months post stroke was reported to be high. Along with contracture, spasticity also develops in some patients. 4 In presence of severe loss of strength and dexterity after stroke the wrist and finger flexor muscles are at risk of developing contracture because the hand usually rest on lap. In this position the wrist and finger are in flexion so the flexor muscles are effectively immobilized in the shorten part of the range. Therefore are shortly undergo some adaptation. Hence prevention of contracture and maintaining an optimal pain free joint range of motion is an important therapeutic intervention in stroke rehabilitation. 6 Available Online at http://www.recentscientific.com International Journal of Recent Scientific Research International Journal of Recent Scientific Research Vol. 9, Issue, 3(K), pp. 25448-25453, March, 2018 Copyright © Nikhil Patil et al, 2018, this is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. DOI: 10.24327/IJRSR CODEN: IJRSFP (USA) Article History: Received 15 th December, 2017 Received in revised form 25 th January, 2018 Accepted 23 rd February, 2018 Published online 28 th March, 2018 Key Words: Hemiplegic Arm, Burnstrom, Modified Ashworth Scale, Contracture Preventing Positioning.