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Objective: The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of an auricular point acupressure smartphone app (mAPA) to self-manage chronic musculoskeletal pain. Methods: A prospective, longitudinal, randomized, controlled pilot trial was conducted using a three-group design (self-guided mAPA (n = 14); in-person mAPA (n = 12); and control (n = 11)). The primary outcomes included physical function and pain intensity. Results: After a 4-week APA intervention, participants in the in-person mAPA group had improved physical function of 32% immediately post-intervention and 29% at the 1M follow-up. Participants in the self-guided mAPA group had higher improvement (42% at post-intervention and 48% at the 1M follow-up). Both mAPA groups had similar degrees of pain intensity relief at post-intervention (45% for in-person and 48% for the self-guided group) and the 1M follow-up (42% for in-person and 45% for the self-guided group). Over 50% of the participants in each group reached at least 30% reduced pain intensity at post-intervention, and this was sustained in the mAPA groups at the 1M follow-up. Approximately 80% of the participants in both mAPA groups were satisfied with the treatment outcomes and adhered to the suggested APA practice; however, participants in the self-guided group had higher duration and more frequency in APA use. The attrition rate was 16% at the 1M follow-up. No adverse effects of APA were reported, and participants found APA to be beneficial and the app to be valuable. Conclusion: The study findings indicate that participants effectively learned APA using a smartphone app, whether they were self-guided or received in-person training. They were able to self-administer APA to successfully manage their pain. Participants found APA to be valuable in their pain self-management and expressed satisfaction with the intervention using the app.

Objective This study aimed to explore correlations between spasticity and motor impairments in the upper and lower limbs in ambulatory chronic stroke survivors. Design We performed clinical assessments in 28 ambulatory chronic stroke survivors with spastic hemiplegia (female: 12; male: 16; mean ages = 57.8 ± 11.8 yrs; 76 ± 45 mos after stroke). Results In the upper limb, spasticity index and Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment showed a significant correlation. Spasticity index for the upper limb showed a significant negative correlation with handgrip strength of the affected side (r = −0.4, P = 0.035) while Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment for the upper limb had a significant positive correlation (r = 0.77, P < 0.001). In the LL, no correlation was found between SI_LL and FMA_LL. There was a significant and high correlation between timed up and go test and gait speed (r = 0.93, P < 0.001). Gait speed was positively correlated with Spasticity index for the lower limb (r = 0.48, P = 0.01), and negatively correlated with Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment for the lower limb (r = −0.57, P = 0.002). Age and time since stroke showed no association in analyses for both upper limb and lower limb. Conclusions Spasticity has a negative correlation on motor impairment in the upper limb but not in the lower limb. Motor impairment was significantly correlated with grip strength in the upper limb and gait performance in the lower limb of ambulatory stroke survivors.