Mechanical power of ankle plantar flexion and subjective pain by monophasic electrical stimulation

The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanical power of the ankle plantar flexion. The investigated power of the ankle plantar flexion would help to improve effectively the FES walking system using the ankle plantar flexion for patients and aged people in slow walking. The subjective pain by electrical stimulation sometimes becomes the burden to use the FES system. We also investigated the relationship between the mechanical power in ankle plantar flexion by electrical stimulation and the subjective pain. We developed the device to measure the ankle movement by electrical stimulation against load resistance torque. The device consisted of pads to support a single lower leg, a rotational footplate with a large pulley and a vertical weight to generate the load resistance torque, and a monophasic electrical stimulator via surface electrodes. Our results showed the proportional relationship between the mechanical power of the ankle plantar flexion and the subjective pain by electrical stimulation. To generate the same level in the ankle plantar flexor power 2.75 W under the maximum voluntary exertion, the subjective pain by electrical stimulation exceeded 70, which means the feeling of crying at the Face Pain Scale. This result would help the better design of the FES walking system using the ankle plantar flexion for patients and aged people.