Assessment of the Efficacy of Functional Electrical Stimulation in Patients with Hemiplegia

The purpose of this review is to summarize recent findings relevant to the efficacy of functional electrical stimulation (FES) in the rehabilitation of patients with hemiplegia. Most clinicians still view this modality as an experimental tool. Recent controlled clinical studies have shown that FES has the potential for improving the gait pattern of hemiplegic patients and for reducing shoulder subluxation. Controlled studies showing successful treatment of the hemiplegic hand are not presently available. Given the recent technological advances and promising clinical studies, it appears that FES may become a more common clinical tool in the treatment of the hemiplegic patient in the future.