Results of functional electrical stimulation of leg muscles during walking in a patient in the early recovery period after a stroke

Acute cerebrovascular accident throughout the world remains the main cause of subsequent disability in persons who have suffered a stroke. One promising area is neuromuscular stimulation. Functional electrical stimulation is a subtype of neuromuscular stimulation in which stimulation promotes functional and goal-oriented movements in the individual. A course of functional electrical stimulation was administered while walking to a 74-year-old patient in the late recovery period of an ischemic stroke (the right middle cerebral artery). 14 procedures were performed lasting from 20 to 30 minutes. Before and after the functional electrical stimulation course, a clinical study and a study of the biomechanics of walking were conducted. The results obtained showed an improvement in clinical indicators, inconsistent changes in the time parameters of the step cycle, an increase in amplitudes in the hip and knee joints, as well as normalization of the function of the knee and ankle joints of the paretic side. Functional EMG research showed both an improvement in muscle activity and normalization of their activity profile, as well as processes of function restructuring that require further study. During functional electrical stimulation, there were no negative reactions from the patient or irritation of the skin at the locations of the electrodes. The method of functional electrical stimulation requires further study and reasonable application in this category of patients.