Effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in the functional knee rehabilitation in soldiers

Abstract

Background: The versatility of military physical therapist practice enables them not only to diagnose knee injuries but also to provide a wide range of definitive care and rehabilitation, reducing the need for costly evacuation. The aim this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions by Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) in the functional knee rehabilitation in soldiers and describe the main predictors and determinants in each intervention. Methods: A systematic search of the literature about NMES in physiotherapy was performed using the following electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and CINAHL. The search strategy was: "neuromuscular electrical stimulation" and "physical therapy" and "strengthening" and "knee". Inclusion criteria were: original articles published and peer reviewed between 2004-2015, focusing on physiotherapy interventions by NMES on subjects older than 18 years. A total resulting from 46 studies was included in the study. Results: The results show the evidence on the effectiveness of NMES therapeutic/preventive purposes in the muscular system; and the importance of physical therapy in the army. Conclusion: As a method of functional knee rehabilitation, NMES proves effective in achieving the therapeutic/preventive objectives in soldiers. Level of Evidence: II. Systematic review of randomized clinical trials with homogeneity.

How to report electrotherapy parameters and procedures for pelvic floor dysfunction

“…Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) involves a generic application of electrical currents across the intact surface of the skin to stimulate the peripheral nerves to produce various physiological effects [63]. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is defined as the application of an electric current using electrodes placed on skeletal muscles with the main objective to produce muscle contraction by activating intramuscular nerve branches for the purpose of restoring a degree of control over an abnormal or absent muscle function [64,65]; when an electrically induced contraction is performed to produce a functional movement, this is called functional electrical stimulation (FES). Usually, TENS and NMES are the most used modalities for treating PFMD.…”