Supporting front crawl swimming in paraplegics using electrical stimulation: a feasibility study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Participation in physical and therapeutic activities is usually severely restricted after a spinal cord injury (SCI). Reasons for this are the associated loss of voluntary motor function, inefficient temperature regulation of the affected extremities, and early muscle fatigue. Hydrotherapy or swim training offer an inherent weight relief, reduce spasticity and improve coordination, muscle strength and fitness.

Methods

We present a new hybrid exercise modality that combines functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the knee extensors and transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) with paraplegic front crawl swimming. tSCS is used to stimulate the afferent fibers of the L2-S2 posterior roots for spasticity reduction. By activating the tSCS, the trunk musculature

SUBMITTER: Wiesener C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7164248 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature