FES Not Working

[JD37]

I have now tried the FES bike (at PT) a total of four times at various settings for 30 min each time with no positive results. Muscles don't contract. I'm T-8, four months post with transverse myelitis. Will this ever work for me?

Anyone else have this problem?

[SCI PILOT]

I had the same problem with ES not working so I was told they need to do a needle EMG to find the exact motor points. The EMG waiting list is a year long so I opted to fly to electrologic and get Steve P. to try it. He invented or at least perfected the FES cycle. I go next week

Jim

[SCI-Nurse]

JD, do you have any spasticity or other reflex activity below your level of injury? With TM it is possible that you have lower motor neuron damage in your spinal cord below that level that may make you a poor FES candidate.

It is very difficult to stimulate muscle contraction if the lower motor neurons are not functional. The electical charge needed to stimulate the muscles alone (without the usual process of stimulating the motor neuron) is very high, and can result in burns.

(KLD)

[JD37]

No I don't have any spasticity or other reflex activity below my lebel of injury...unfortunately.

[JD37]

Originally posted by sci pilot:

I had the same problem with ES not working so I was told they need to do a needle EMG to find the exact motor points. The EMG waiting list is a year long so I opted to fly to electrologic and get Steve P. to try it. He invented or at least perfected the FES cycle. I go next week

Jim

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

[teesieme]

Nurse-what did you mean by "burns?" Can a person get burns from FES home therapies??? I never did feel comfortable with the pre-use coverage my son received...