Neuromuscular electrical stimulation on plantar pressure, symmetry and hemiparetic funcionality

Abstract

This study has the objective of analyzing the effects of the Neu-romuscular Electrical Stimulation (NES) on the plantar pressure, symmetry, and hemiparetic functionality. Seven hemiparetic patients, subdivided into two groups participated in this study, as follows: the intervention, which comprised five patients who received the FES current (250μs, 50Hz, Ton 6 seconds, Toff 12 seconds), on the anterior tibialis, three times a week, during four weeks, for thirty minutes; and the control, composed of two patients who received sham (50μs and 150Hz) current at the same period, and on the same muscle. The subjects carried out the evaluation at the pre and post treatment by means of baropodometry using the FSCANTM system, where the plantar pressures were analyzed, besides the symmetric analysis, the functionality evaluation, con-ducted through the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). The mean age of the studied sample was of 58.85 years old, and all of them had the diagnosis of chronic ischemic stroke. Concerning the plantar pressure and functionality, there were statistically significant differences in relation to group FES, as well as group sham, when the pre and post treatment were compared. The symmetry indices of the intervention group increased 140.58% after the treatment. However, group sham’s growth was of 57.65%. By means of the present study, it was found that NES was able to exert positive influence on the symmetry of chronic hemiparetic patients, thus resulting in a more satisfactory spot.