Functional Electrical Stimulation Method Research Articles

Results of functional electrical stimulation of leg muscles during walking in a patient in the early recovery period after a stroke

Acute cerebrovascular accident throughout the world remains the main cause of subsequent disability in persons who have suffered a stroke.
 One promising area is neuromuscular stimulation. Functional electrical stimulation is a subtype of neuromuscular stimulation in which stimulation promotes functional and goal-oriented movements in the individual.
 A course of functional electrical stimulation was administered while walking to a 74-year-old patient in the late recovery period of an ischemic stroke (the right middle cerebral artery). 14 procedures were performed lasting from 20 to 30 minutes. Before and after the functional electrical stimulation course, a clinical study and a study of the biomechanics of walking were conducted.
 The results obtained showed an improvement in clinical indicators, inconsistent changes in the time parameters of the step cycle, an increase in amplitudes in the hip and knee joints, as well as normalization of the function of the knee and ankle joints of the paretic side. Functional EMG research showed both an improvement in muscle activity and normalization of their activity profile, as well as processes of function restructuring that require further study.
 During functional electrical stimulation, there were no negative reactions from the patient or irritation of the skin at the locations of the electrodes.
 The method of functional electrical stimulation requires further study and reasonable application in this category of patients.

Efficiency of using the technology of functional electrical stimulation in gait disorder in patients with cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is a group of developmental disorders affecting motor skills and postural maintenance, leading to motion defects due to non-progressive damage and/or a developing brain anomaly in the fetus or the newborn child. Leg muscle weakness and spasticity associated with cerebral palsy limit the range of motion in the ankle joint and negatively affect the childs motor ability. This article reviews scientific studies on an innovative method of functional electrical stimulation of walking in children with cerebral palsy. We searched for information in the Scopus, Web of Science, Medline, The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Pedro, Scholar, eLibrary, and CyberLeninka databases. The efficiency of remedial treatment of motion using functional electrical stimulators was assessed using biomechanical and neurophysiological methods of evidence-based medicine. When children are rehabilitated using electrical stimulation techniques such as functional electrical stimulation, the gait is restored significantly, dorsiflexion is improved, the gait pattern is normalized, stability when walking is increased, the number of falls is decreased, and the need for additional support is reduced. The effect of functional electrical stimulation on the normalization of walking speed, gait kinematics and symmetry, the ability to overcome obstacles, and the range of motion of the ankle joint and foot clearance during walking are discussed. In addition, the work analyzes the effect of functional electrical stimulation on reducing the patients energy consumption when walking, normalizing muscle tone, decreasing the risk of falls, and increasing confidence and comfort when walking. As part of this analysis, the speed of adaptation and patient tolerance of the devices for functional electrical stimulation are also discussed. A comparative characteristic of functional electrical stimulation using ankle joint orthoses is provided.
 CONCLUSIONS: For many years, movement dynamics have used functional electrical stimulation technologies to rehabilitate neurological patients after stroke and multiple sclerosis. It is only a matter of time before these technologies also become the standard treatment for children with cerebral palsy in rehabilitation programs.

Combined physical therapy for diabetic angiopathy

Background. The problem of diabetic angiopathy is characteristic of countries even with a high level of development of medicine. The high frequency of complications of diabetes with high biological and social significance determines the need for their correction.
 The purpose of the work was to increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatment for patients with diabetic angiopathy through the combined use of therapeutic exercises and functional electrical stimulation of the lower extremities.
 Methods. A prospective cohort study was conducted, in which 90 patients (63 men and 27 women) with an established diagnosis of type 2 diabetes took part.
 Results. It was found that the use of therapeutic gymnastics and training walking on a treadmill and functional neuroelectrostimulation of the lower extremities increase the motor capabilities of patients due to the analgesic effect, improved neurogenic control of vasoconstriction of arteriovenous anastomoses and increased capillary blood flow.
 Conclusion. Functional electrical stimulation method can be effectively used in physical therapy programs for patients with diabetic lower limb angiopathies at the inpatient and outpatient stages.

A Review of Different Stimulation Methods for Functional Reconstruction and Comparison of Respiratory Function after Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.

Background Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common severe trauma in clinic, hundreds of thousands of people suffer from which every year in the world. In terms of injury location, cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) has the greatest impact. After cervical spinal cord injury, the lack of innervated muscles is not enough to provide ventilation and other activities to complete the respiratory function. In addition to the decline of respiratory capacity, respiratory complications also have a serious impact on the life of patients. The most commonly used assisted breathing and cough equipment is the ventilator, but in recent years, the functional electrical stimulation method is being used gradually and widely. Methods About hundred related academic papers are cited for data analysis. They all have the following characteristics: (1) basic conditions of patients were reported, (2) patients had received nerve or muscle stimulation and the basic parameters, and (3) the results were evaluated based on some indicators. Results The papers mentioned above are classified as four kinds of stimulation methods: muscle electric/magnetic stimulation, spinal dural electric stimulation, intraspinal microstimulation, and infrared light stimulation. This paper describes the stimulation principle and application experiment. Finally, this paper will compare the indexes and effects of typical stimulation methods, as well as the two auxiliary methods: training and operation. Conclusions Although there is limited evidence for the treatment of respiratory failure by nerve or muscle stimulation after cervical spinal cord injury, the two techniques seem to be safe and effective. At the same time, light stimulation is gradually applied to clinical medicine with its strong advantages and becomes the development trend of nerve stimulation in the future.

Functional Electrostimulation of Muscles as a Method for Restoring Motor Functions

The main functions of a method of functional electrical stimulation of muscles (FES) are described: diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic. The main indication for using the FES method is a deficiency of muscle function, which may be organic (due to lesions to neuromuscular structures) or functional (associated with relaxation of the muscular apparatus). The five most significant functions of the FES method were established: 1) identification of correctable movements and stimulable muscles; 2) identification of the amplitude and time program for stimulation; 3) stimulation regimes for pathological gaits; 4) stimulation parameters; 5) positioning of skin electrodes on the human body. Using the example of two severe central nervous system pathologies (spinal cord lesions in the lumbosacral area and hemiparesis of cerebral origin), the positive effects of FES on the process of motor rehabilitation of this category of patients were demonstrated.