Application Of Muscle Nerve Stimulation In Health And Disease

The first evidence that electrical changes can cause muscles to contract was p- vided by Galvani (1791). Galvani’s ideas about ‘animal electricity’ were explored during the 19th and 20th century when it was firmly established that ‘electricity’ is one of the most important mechanisms used for communication by the nervous system and muscle. These researches lead to the development of ever more soph- ticated equipment that could either record the electrical changes in nerves and muscles, or elicit functional changes by electrically stimulating these structures. It was indeed the combination of these two methods that elucidated many of the basic principles about the function of the nervous system. Following these exciting findings, it was discovered that electrical stimulation and the functions elicited by it also lead to long-term changes in the properties of nerves and particularly muscles. Recent findings help us to understand the mec- nisms by which activity induced by electrical stimulation can influence mature, fully differentiated cells, in particular muscles, blood vessels and nerves. Electrically elicited activity determines the properties of muscle fibres by activating a sequence of signalling pathways that change the gene expression of the muscle. Thus, elect- cal activity graduated from a simple mechanism that is used to elicit muscle c- traction, to a system that could induce permanent changes in muscles and modify most of its characteristic properties.

Intended for clinicians who perform electrodiagnostic procedures as an extension of their clinical examination, and for neurologists and physiatrists who are interested in neuromuscular disorders and noninvasive electrodiagnostic methods, particularly those practicing electromyography (EMG) this book provides a comprehensive review of most peripheral nerve and muscle diseases, including specific techniques and locations for performing each test.

Considered the largest breakthrough in the treatment of Parkinson's disease in the past 40 years, Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a pioneering procedure of neurology and functional neurosurgery, forging enormous change and growth within the field. The first comprehensive text devoted to this surgical therapy, Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a technique that delivers mild electrical currents across the intact surface of the skin to reduce pain. TENS is used by practitioners throughout the world to manage painful conditions and TENS equipment can be purchased by the general public so that they can self-administer treatment. There are thousands of experimental and clinical research studies published on TENS and related techniques yet there is uncertainty about the best way to administer TENS in clinical practice. This is because currents used during TENS can be administered in a variety of ways and the findings of research studies have been inconclusive. This book provides guidance on how best to use TENS based on an evaluation of current research evidence. The book covers what TENS is, how it works, and safe and appropriate clinical techniques for many conditions including chronic low back pain, osteoarthritis and cancer pain. It also offers solutions to the problems faced by researchers when trying to design clinical trials on TENS. Accessibility written, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) provides a comprehensive coverage of research issues and findings about TENS and will be essential reading for healthcare professionals, practitioners and students.

This reference text covers the fundamental knowledge and principles of functional electrical stimulation (FES) as applied to the spinal cord injured (SCI) patient. The principles of FES application and basic biomechanical issues related to FES in SCI are stressed. The fundamentals regarding patient selection criteria, indication, contraindications, and descriptions of procedures are clearly presented. Also included are the fundamentals and rationale of gait restoration with patient selection, control strategies, and the synthesis of gait sequences with trends in the field. Each chapter contains numerous references to the FES literature for the reader to easily evaluate and extend his knowledge in the area of interest. Biomedical and rehabilitation engineering professionals and researchers for medical doctors, physical therapists, and orthotists will find this publication invaluable.