International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) - Volume4Issue5- May 2013
Empirical Study to Determine Optimum
Parameter of Muscle Stimulator
Ms.A.V.Shah#1, Mr. J.B.Vyas #2
# 1,2
Biomedcal Engineering Department, Gujarat Technological University,
Gandhinagar, India
Abstract— Muscle stimulation therapy has the potential to
assist individuals who are moderately to severely affect by Stroke
in restoring voluntary motor functions. The use of Muscle
stimulation as a form of rehabilitation therapy provides the
ability to restore voluntary body functions in individuals
suffering from paralysis. It is extensively used therapeutically to
initiate and facilitate voluntary contraction of muscle. This idea
may be applied where voluntary muscle contraction is inhibited
by pain or injury. There are clear effects of stimulation on
excitable tissue, that is nerve and muscle, which lead to
numerous indirect effects. For example, modifying pain
perception in the central nervous system or causing muscle
contraction is secondary to the stimulation of the nerve fibre.
There is also evidence of direct effects on these tissues affecting
their growth and metabolism. Electrical stimulation signals can
be characterized in terms of shape, frequency, pulse-width (PW)
and amplitude. This study aims to provide the optimum patterns
of stimulation for the paralyzed patients
Keywords Rehabilitation, Paralysis, Electrical Stimulation
I. INTRODUCTION
Muscle stimulation is the elicitation of muscle
contraction using electric impulses. Muscle stimulation has
received increasing attention in the last few years, because it
has the potential to serve as: a strength training tool for
healthy subjects and athletes; a rehabilitation and preventive
tool for partially or totally immobilized patients; a testing tool
for evaluating the neural and/or muscular function in vivo; a
post-exercise recovery tool for athletes.
Muscle stimulation causes adaptation, i.e. training, of
muscle fibers. Because of the characteristics of skeletal
muscle fibers, different types of fibers can be activated to
differing degrees by different types of Muscle stimulation, and
the modifications induced depend on the pattern of Muscle
stimulation activity. These patterns, referred to as protocols or
programs, will cause a different response from contraction of
different fiber types. Some programs will improve fatigue
resistance, i.e. endurance, others will increase force
production. out and the central representation of the damaged
extremity is improved. It forces reorganization of the damaged
brain areas and motor learning processes.
variable frequency train improves the performance by
increasing the strength generated by the muscles compared to
fixed frequency train muscle stimulator.
Joke R.de Kroon performed the review to explore the
relationship between characteristics of stimulation and the
effect of electric stimulation on the recovery of upper limb
motor control following stroke. 22 patient groups were
evaluated and a positive effect of electrical stimulation was
reported for 13 patient groups. Positive results were more
common when electrical stimulation was triggered by
voluntary movement. There was no relation between the effect
of electric stimulation and the other characteristics examined.
Kim Y S studied the effect of low versus high frequency
electric accupoint stimulation on motor recovery after
ischemic stroke. Electrical acupoint stimulation (EAS) has
been used to treat motor dysfunction of stroke patients with
reportedly effective results
The results of the study suggested that low frequency EAS
activates the central motor conduction system better than high
frequency EAS, and EAS with low frequency could be more
helpful for motor recovery after ischemic stroke than that with
high frequency.
III. TYPE OF CURRENT USED FOR THE STUDY
This study has been performed using a muscle
stimulator of TAPSI as shown in the Fig 1.surged faradic
current is applied to the paralysed patients. Fig.2 shows
the surge faradic current.
II. EMPIRICAL STUDY PERFORMED SO FAR REGARDING MUSCLE
STIMULATION
Simona Ferrante and her team performed experiments on
six persons to observe the effect of variable frequency train
during functional electric stimulation. They concluded that
ISSN: 2231-5381
Fig.1. Muscle stimulator used for the study
A. Faradic and Surge Faradic Current
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) - Volume4Issue5- May 2013
Faradic current is a short-duration interrupted current, with
a pulse duration ranging from 0.1 and 1 msec and a frequency
of 50 to 100 Hz. Faradic currents are always surged for
treatment purposes to produce a near normal tetanic-like
contraction and relaxation of muscle. Current surging means
the gradual increase and decrease of the peak intensity.
PATIENT DATA OBTAINED WITH MUSCLE STIMULATOR
Sr.
Patient
No
Name
Age
Wt
Condition
Since
SF
(Kg)
of the
(Years)
(mA)
2.4
58
1.4
68
0.8
52
2
45
0.2
30
3
45
0.1
40
0.4
45
1
55
0.8
35
0.2
30
14
30
0.7
50
2.3
70
Patient
1
Mr.
64
79
Sudhir
In surged currents, the intensity of the successive impulses
increases gradually, each impulse reaching a peak value
greater than the preceding one then falls either suddenly or
gradually. Surges can be adjusted from 2 to 5-second surge,
continuously or by regularly selecting frequencies from 6 to
30 surges / minute. Rest period (pause duration) should be at
least 2 to 3 times as long as that of the pulse to give the
muscle the sufficient time to recover (regain its normal state).
The most comfortable pulse is either 0.1-msec pulse, with a
frequency of 70 Hz or 1-msec pulse with a frequency of 50
Hz.
2
Mr
Hemiplegia
65
68
Ramesh
3
Mr. Ravi
Right
Right
Hemiplegia
50
62
Right
Hemiplegia
4
Mr.
65
68
Jyantibhai
5
Dr.
Hemilegia
60
78
Dinesh
6
Mr. P. C
Right
Right
Hemiplegia
75
62
Left
Hemiplegia
8
Mr.
47
64
Girishbhai
9
Mr.
Hemiplegia
35
65
Jignesh
10
Mr.
B. The mechnism of Pain Inhibtion and Muscle Spasm
Pain has an inhibitory effect on the large anterior horn
cells. Stimulation of the afferent nerve fibers decreases this
inhibition and influences the alpha motor neurons.
Subsequently, facilitation of transmission of impulses to the
extrafusal fibers follows with inhibition of the antagonists,
allowing a more natural sequence of movements.
Controlled muscle contraction results from Excitation of
the small efferent fibers, which cause contraction of the
intrafusal fibers, Stretching of muscle spindle, which sends
information to the anterior horn cells, recruiting the motor
unit, leading to muscle contraction and Inhibition of the
anterior horn cells supplying the antagonistic groups.
IV. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
Following table 1 shows the results obtained using the
Muscle Stimulator of TAPSI Company. The study has been
carried out at different physiotherapy centres like, Apang
Manav Mandal at Vastrapur and Memnagar, Hope Neuro
Rehabilitation Centre. Study has been carried out on 15
patients. Common reasons for the paralysis were High Blood
pressure or accidental injury on to the brain.
11
Mrs.
45
70
Mrs.
70
65
Miss
52
75
Mr.
15
45
Mr. Altaf
Right
Hemiplegia
24
53
Vishal
15
Right
Hemiplegia
Hetali
14
Right
Hemiplegia
Kanta
13
Left
Hemipegia
Rama
12
Left
Hemiplegia
Pradeep
Fig.2. Surge Faradic current
Left
Right
Hemiplegia
47
48
Paraplegia
EMG Signal has also been obtained for the patients. EMG
signal is half than that of Healthy person. Fig. 3 shows the
stimulator applied to the patient.
TABLE I
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) - Volume4Issue5- May 2013
[14]
[15]
[16]
[17]
Fig.3. Stimulator Applied to the patient
From the above results it can be concluded that surge
faradic current is suitable for the treatment of the paralysed
persons. With the regular treatment suggested by the doctors
muscle regeneration is possible and the range of current
required for the patients is 30 mA to 70 mA.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work is supported by the Government Engineering
College, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. We would like to express our
sincere thanks to all the people who supported us.
We would also like to acknowledge our sincere thanks to
Dr. Manish Trivedi and Dr Viral Shah for allowing us to carry
out the experiments on to paralysed patients.
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