State-of-the-art Functional Electric Stimulation (FES) equipment is currently helping many patients regain their muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. While FES technology has been around for more than thirty years, recent advances have made the equipment much more user-friendly. Our physical therapists have received specialized training in the use of the equipment, including how to monitor the settings to ensure maximum benefit to the user.
At TRYAbility we use an FES bicycle, Xcite stimulator and most recently the RT600 gait training system with patients to enhance muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness, and gait performance.
How it works
FES technology can help people with many levels of disability, including those with multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, brain injury, Transverse Myelitis, Parkinson’s Disease, stroke and other conditions. It is also being used to help children with cerebral palsy improve their motor and gait skills.
This high-tech equipment provides patterned electrical stimulation to the surface of muscles, which stimulates nerves and evokes muscle contractions and activity. Surface electrodes are placed on one or both sides of the patient’s body, this could be on their legs, torso or arms, depending on the focus of the treatment and the equipment being utilized for that session. The electrodes are then connected to the computerized brain of the machinery that controls the output of the electrical stimulation. The robotic walker, FES cycle, or Xcite functional stimulator then provides the appropriate amount of electrical stimulation to move the muscles to enable body weight supported walking, cycling, and other functional tasks such as transfers and bed mobility. It also measures the amount of effort the patient is exerting and automatically measures each patient’s progress.
FES enables the individual who may have lost voluntary control over their muscles due to injury or illness to cycle, walk, stand, balance, reach or other activities they are working on as part of their plan of care. Patients can even use some of the FES equipment without transferring from their wheelchairs. This exercise relaxes spasms, improves circulation, maintains or increases range of motion, and prevents muscle atrophy that often accompanies lack of use.
Who it helps
Our focus
Results
Research
Bakkum AJ, de Groot S, Stolwijk-Swüste JM, van Kuppevelt DJ; ALLRISC, van der Woude LH, Janssen TW. Effects of hybrid cycling versus handcycling on wheelchair-specific fitness and physical activity in people with long-term spinal cord injury: a 16-week randomized controlled trial. Spinal Cord. 2015; 53: 395-401.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25622729
Bethoux et al. Long-term follow-up to a randomized controlled trial comparing peroneal nerve functional electrical stimulation to an ankle foot orthosis for patients with chronic stroke. Neurorehabil Neuro Repair. 2015; 29: 911-922.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25653225
Glinsky J, Harvey, L, Van Es P. Efficacy of electrical stimulation to increase muscle strength in people with neurological conditions: a systematic review. Physiother Res Int. 2007; 12: 175-94. Howlett O, Lannin NA, Ada Louise, McKinstry C. Functional electrical stimulation improves activity after stroke: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2015; 96: 934-943.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25634620
Kapadia N, Masani K, Catharine Craven B, Giangregorio LM, Hitzig SL, Richards K, Popovic MR. A randomized trial of functional electrical stimulation for walking in incomplete spinal cord injury: Effects on walking competency. J Spinal Cord Med. 2014 Sep;37(5):511-24.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25229735
Koyuncu E, Nakipoğlu-Yüzer GF, Doğan A, Ozgirgin N. The effectiveness of functional electrical stimulation for the treatment of shoulder subluxation and shoulder pain in hemiplegic patients: A randomized controlled trial. Disabil Rehabil. 2010;32(7):560-6.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20136474
Kressler J, Ghersin H, Nash MS. Use of functional electrical stimulation cycle ergometers by individuals with spinal cord injury.Top Spinal Cord Inj Rehabil. 2014 Spring;20(2):123-6. Michlovitz SL, Bellew JW, Nolan TP. Modalities for Therapeutic Intervention, 5th Ed, FA Davis, Philadelphia, PA, 2012.
Pereira S, Mehta S, McIntyre A, Lobo L, Foley N, Teasell R. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for improving gait in persons with chronic stroke. Top Stroke Rehabil. 2012; 19(6):491-498.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23192714
Quandt F, Hummel FC. The influence of functional electrical stimulation on hand motor recovery in stroke patients: a review. Experimental & Translational Stroke Medicine. 2014; 6:9. Robbins SM, Houghton PE, Woodbury MG, Brown JL. The therapeutic effect of functional and transcutaneous electric stimulation on improving gait speed in stroke patients: a meta analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2006; 87: 853-9.
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