Functional Electrical Stimulation Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries sci can disrupt communications between the brain and the body resulting in loss of control over otherwise intact neuromuscular systems.

Functional electrical stimulation spinal cord injury. Functional electrical stimulation fes for spinal cord injury functional electrical stimulation fes uses small electrical impulses to activate specific muscles and nerves. In a recently published article in nature researchers shared how electrical stimulation in combination with physical therapy helped human test subjects with residual motor function regain control of their leg muscles. Scremin et al 1999 in chronic sci fatigability is also a key issue due to changes in muscle fiber composition. By implanting a stimulator and 16 electrode array to the spinal column electrical currents can excite motor neurons below the level of injury to promote movement.

The electrical stimulation can cause your muscles to contract which may promote increased muscle bulk or muscle. Epidural stimulation is an invasive type of electrical stimulation that can significantly improve mobility after spinal cord injury. Electrical stimulation is again making news for helping people with spinal cord injuries scis make progress in their spinal cord injury recovery. Functional electrical stimulation fes of the central and peripheral nervous system can use these intact neuromuscular systems to provide t.

Reversal of muscle atrophy also appears feasible in more longstanding complete or motor complete sci i e. 2 years post injury as shown by increases in muscle cross sectional area and the muscle adipose tissue ratio using fes cycling crameri et al 2002. These impulses trigger the desired function such as contracting muscles to move a foot or lift an arm. This therapy uses computer technology to send low level electrical impulses to specific muscles in your legs arms hands or other areas.