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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Paradigms of Lower Extremity Electrical Stimulation Training After Spinal Cord Injury
Published on: February 1, 2018
FES cycling
1Division of Applied Biomedical Research, School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
Abstract:
Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to a partial or complete disruption of motor, sensory, and autonomic nerve pathways below the level of the lesion. In paraplegic patients, functional electrical stimulation (FES) was originally widely considered as a means to restore walking function but this was proved technically very difficult because of the numerous degrees of freedom involved in walking. FES cycling was developed for people with SCI and has the advantages that cycling can be maintained for reasonably long periods in trained muscles and the risk of falls is low. In the article, we review research findings relevant to the successful application of FES cycling including the effects on muscle size, strength and function, and the cardiovascular and bone changes. We also describe important practical considerations in FES cycling regarding the application of surface electrodes, training and setting up the stimulator limitations, implanted stimulators and FES cycling including FES cycling in groups and other FES exercises such as FES rowing.
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