Functional electrical stimulation improves quality of life by reducing intermittent claudication.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine if Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) would improve ischemic pain, walking distance, and quality of life of patients with intermittent claudication.

Design

Single blind, randomized block, two factorial design.

Patients

Patients diagnosed with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) and intermittent claudication (IC). Ankle Brachial Index ranged 0.4-0.9 on at least one leg. Patients were randomly assigned to experimental (FES+Walk, N=13) or control (WALK, N=14) groups.

Intervention

Experimental group patients received FES to the dorsiflexor and plantarflexor muscles while walking for 1h/day, six days/week for eight weeks. Control group patients received similar intervention without FES. A Follow-up period of both groups lasted eight weeks.

SUBMITTER: Embrey DG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5532080 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature