Functional electrical stimulation after spinal cord injury

This article reviews work mainly from my own laboratory on the effects of electrical stimulation for therapy and function following spinal cord injury. One to two hours per day of intermittent stimulation can increase muscle strength and endurance and also reverse some of the osteoporosis in bones t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of neurotrauma Vol. 16; no. 8; p. 713
Main Author Stein, R B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.08.1999
Subjects
Electric Stimulation
Humans
Muscles - physiopathology
Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology
Spinal Cord Injuries - therapy
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Summary:This article reviews work mainly from my own laboratory on the effects of electrical stimulation for therapy and function following spinal cord injury. One to two hours per day of intermittent stimulation can increase muscle strength and endurance and also reverse some of the osteoporosis in bones that are stressed by the stimulation. Stimulation during walking can also be used to improve speed and other parameters of the gait. Surface stimulation systems with 1-4 channels of stimulation were used in a multicenter study. Initial increases of almost 20% in walking speed were seen and overall increases of nearly 50% in subjects who continued to receive stimulation for a year on average. Some changes were due to improved strength and coordination with stimulation and additional walking, but a specific effect of stimulation persisted throughout the trial. Improved devices will soon be available commercially that were developed on the basis of feedback from users.
ISSN:0897-7151
DOI:10.1089/neu.1999.16.713