A review of the use of electro-motor stimulation in human muscles

The use of electrical stimulation in rehabilitation is a long established procedure for the management of a wide variety of musculoskeletal problems. This paper reviews important findings from studies on the electro-motor stimulation (EMS) of human muscles. It is particularly concerned with the results of EMS in normal subjects and in the rehabilitation setting, focusing on the stimulus parameters and training protocols used by various authors. A brief account is also given of some of the physiological effects of EMS on muscle. Attention is drawn to the urgent need for a more systematic approach to establish the optimal stimulation and training parameters. These factors must be considered when evaluating studies concerned with the efficacy of EMS-based rehabilitation programmes.