The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if combining neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) with therapeutic ultrasound (UT) can improve muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical function in stroke patients with sarcopenia.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Does combined NMES and UT therapy increase muscle mass and strength more than conventional rehabilitation alone?
Does the combined therapy improve physical function (balance, gait, and activities of daily living) better than either therapy alone?
Researchers will compare four groups:
Conventional rehabilitation only (control group)
Conventional rehabilitation plus UT
Conventional rehabilitation plus NMES
Conventional rehabilitation plus combined UT and NMES
Participants will:
Receive 4 weeks of rehabilitation therapy, 6 days per week
Undergo assessments of muscle mass (via ultrasound), muscle strength (handgrip, isokinetic testing), and physical function (Fugl-Meyer, FIM, balance, and gait tests) before and after the 4-week intervention
Receive either UT (1 MHz, 0.5-0.8 W/cm², 20 min/session, 2 sessions/day), NMES (50 Hz, 300μs pulse width, 20 min/session, 2 sessions/day), both, or standard care only