Article
Article
DISCLAIMER: This article is being kept online for historical purposes. Though accurate at last review, it is no longer being updated. The page may contain broken links or outdated information.
Functional electrical stimulation therapy
Article By:
McDonald, John W. International Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.
Recio, Albert International Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.
Last reviewed:2014
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB150951
Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is defined as the application of an electrical stimulus to paralyzed nerves or muscles following stroke or any other neuromuscular disorder. Its main purpose is to restore and achieve function, and it has long been used in neurological rehabilitation. The efficacy and therapeutic application of FES are well documented and supported by a significant amount of literature. It can be used to stimulate nerves in the arms, legs, trunk, and buttocks in order to achieve a range of functional movements. FES is most often paired with task-specific practice. A common example is the use of FES for motor recovery of upper extremity function in poststroke subjects. FES also can be used to aid in walking because foot drop (the inability to lift the front part of the foot) is one of the most common mobility problems from stroke and other neuromuscular disorders.
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
