Walking speed and distance improves with exercise in SPMS - more than with functional electronic stimulation
Submitted by art on Tue, 2009-03-31 06:46.
Functional electrical stimulation (FES), is a means of producing a contraction in a paralyzed or weak muscle to enable function through electrical excitation of the innervating nerve.
This study compared 2 groups of people with SPMS - one doing an exercise regime, the other using FES.
The exercise group showed a statistically significant increase in 10 m walking speed and distance walked in 3 min, relative to the FES group who showed no significant change in walking performance without stimulation. At each stage of the trial, the FES group performed to a significantly higher level with FES than without for the same outcome measures.