Download What is Muscle Stimulation? It is using small electrical impulses to

What is Muscle Stimulation?
It is using small electrical
impulses to activate paralysed
muscles and so produce useful
movement.
The electrical impulses work by
exciting the nerves leading to the
muscles.
Self adhesive patches
(electrodes) are usually placed on
the skin close to the nerve
supplying the muscle; this is
often over the centre of the
muscle.
Leads connect the electrodes to a
stimulator that produces the
impulses.
Who may benefit from using
muscle stimulation?
People who have difficulty
moving due to damage to their
brain or spinal cord such as from
a stroke, suffer from multiple
sclerosis (MS) or have had an
incomplete spinal cord injury (T12
or above).
It can sometimes be used with
children who have cerebral palsy
and people who have had a head
injury.
To be effective it is important that
the nerve fibres between the spinal
cord and the muscles are not
damaged.
The impulses need to travel along
the nerves to reach the muscles.
How stimulation can be used to
improve muscle and movement
function
•
Stimulation may be given as a
type of exercise to strengthen
weak muscles or to relax tight
ones. This type of stimulation
is used as part of
physiotherapy.
It can be used to improve hand
and arm function. People who
benefit from this usually have
some movement of the arm
and hand.
It can also be used on the leg
and ankle to improve standing
and walking.
Are there any tests involved?
Tests are usually performed
measure walking speed and effort,
or quality of movement.
Patients who are using stimulation to
improve arm, hand and leg function
may be asked to perform a simple
function test.
Tests take about one hour and are
repeated at regular intervals to
measure progress and to find out
whether treatment needs to be
changed.
Are there any risks or side
effects?
•
Stimulation causes a tingling
“pins and needles" sensation to the
skin, although most people do not
find it uncomfortable, a few do and
for this reason do not use it.
•
Sometimes, even though
patients are carefully assessed, it's
found that treatment has not helped
them or that they are unable to use
the stimulator effectively.
Stimulation will therefore be
stopped.
•
Very occasionally, patients
find electrodes irritate their skin.
Using hypoallergenic electrodes or
changing the type of
stimulation used, can often help.
•
Very rarely stimulation has
been found to increase muscle
tightness and in these cases
treatment will be stopped.
The benefits of muscle stimulation
• Muscle tightness may be
reduced.
Improve circulation to the area.
Improve sensation to the area
Makes muscles move in a
bigger range.
Sometimes patients have
found that after using the
stimulator for a few months
their leg and arm movements
are improved.
How do patients get muscle
stimulation treatment?
Your physiotherapist will consider its
use in your treatment programme.
Where appropriate, they will teach
you how to apply and use the
stimulator between your treatment
sessions.
Your named physiotherapist is:
------------------------------------------------Your personal programme is:
If you have any concerns whilst
using the muscle stimulator, stop it
immediately and contact your
physiotherapist.
Comments, compliments or
complaints
We welcome any suggestions you have
about the quality of our care and our
services.
Contact us:
Freephone:
0800 1613997
Phone:
01625 661449
Textphone:
01625 663723
Customer Care, Reception,
Macclesfield District General Hospital,
Victoria Road, SK10 3BL For large
print, audio, Braille version or
translation contact the
Communications and Engagement
Team on 0800 195 494.
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confidential health advice
and information. Phone:
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(Textphone 0845 606 46
47)www.nhs.uk
East Cheshire NHS Trust is committed to
ensuring that patients and staff will
always be treated with dignity and
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disability, gender, race, sexual orientation
or religious discrimination.
Therapeutic
electrical muscle
stimulation
(TES)
Physiotherapy Inpatient /
Outpatient Neurological
and
Rehabilitation Service
Phone: 01625 661883 / 1481
Macclesfield District General
Hospital
www.eastcheshire.nhs.uk
@eastcheshirenhs
Ref:11232 Review: 5/2016