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The Clinical Impact of Electrical Stimulation on Abnormal Tone During Gait for Individuals With Cerebral Palsy: A
Christopher Joseph1, Kelly Greve
1Department of Physical Therapy, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland (Dr Joseph); Department of Physical Therapy, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio (Dr Greve).
Insights
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can help manage muscle tone and improve gait in children with cerebral palsy (CP). This case report shows TENS improved velocity, cadence, and stride length in two children with CP.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Physical Therapy
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) frequently involves altered muscle tone, impacting functional mobility.
- Muscle tone abnormalities in CP can significantly affect gait patterns and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the clinical application of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for managing muscle tone during gait in children with CP.
- To assess the effects of TENS on gait parameters in pediatric patients with cerebral palsy.
Main Methods:
- Case report involving two children diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
- Application of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to address spasticity and dystonia.
- Two-dimensional gait analysis was performed with and without TENS intervention.
Main Results:
- TENS demonstrated medium and large minimally clinically important differences in gait velocity.
- Improvements in cadence and stride length were observed with TENS application.
- The intervention showed a positive impact on specific gait metrics in children with CP.
Conclusions:
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may serve as a viable modality for managing muscle tone and enhancing gait in children with cerebral palsy.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to validate the efficacy of TENS for CP.
- Clinicians can consider TENS as an intervention for spastic or dystonic muscles to improve gait in pediatric CP patients.
Purpose:
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a condition that often presents with altered muscle tone affecting function. The purpose of this case report is to describe the clinical application of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to manage the impact of muscle tone during gait in 2 children with CP.
Summary Of Key Points:
Two children with CP, who are gait, received TENS to manage spasticity and dystonia. Gait was analyzed using a two-dimensional gait analysis with and without TENS. Results demonstrated medium and large minimally clinically important differences in velocity, cadence, and stride length with TENS.
Conclusion:
Using TENS parameters may be a modality to manage tone and improve gait for children with CP. A larger study is needed to determine the effects of TENS.
Recommendations For Clinical Practice:
Clinicians may use TENS on spastic or dystonic muscles as an intervention to improve gait for children with CP.
