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Updated: May 6, 2026
A Murine Model of Muscle Training by Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation
Published on: May 9, 2012
Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation combined with exercises versus an exercise program on the pain and
Aline Mizusaki Imoto1, Stella Peccin, Kelson Nonato Gomes da Silva
1Internal Medicine Department, Federal University of São Paulo, 04023-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Objectives:
To investigate the effect of 8 weeks of NMES + Ex (neuromuscular electrical stimulation combined with exercises) on pain and functional improvement in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) compared to exercise (Ex) alone.
Design:
Randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
A specialty outpatient clinic.
Participants:
Patients (N = 100; women = 86, men = 14; age range, 50-75 years) with knee OA.
Interventions:
Participants were randomly assigned to NMES + Ex or Ex group.
Outcome Measures:
Numerical Rating Scale 0 to 10 (NRS) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test were the primary outcomes. The secondary outcomes used were the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC).
Results:
Following the interventions, a statistically significant improvement in both groups was observed in all outcomes assessed. For the comparison between the groups, no statistically significant difference was found between the NMES + Ex and the Ex groups in NRS (P = 0.52), TUG test (P = 0.12), and aspects of WOMAC: pain (P = 0.26), function (P = 0.23), and stiffness (P = 0.63).
Conclusion:
THE addition of NMES to exercise did not improve the outcomes assessed in knee OA patients. This study was registered at the Australian Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN012607000357459).
