Neuromuscular electrical stimulation leads to physiological gains enhancing postural balance in the pre-frail elderly.

ABSTRACT: Physiological aging leads to a progressive weakening of muscles and tendons, thereby disturbing the ability to control postural balance and consequently increasing exposure to the risks of falls. Here, we introduce a simple and easy-to-use neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) training paradigm designed to alleviate the postural control deficit in the elderly, the first hallmarks of which present as functional impairment. Nine pre-frail older women living in a long-term care facility performed 4 weeks of NMES training on their plantarflexor muscles, and seven nontrained, non-frail older women living at home participated in this study as controls. Participants were asked to perform maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) during isometric plantarflexion in a lying position. Musculo-tendin

SUBMITTER: Mignardot JB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4552546 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature