An upper body exercise system incorporating resistive exercise and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMS)

A device is described which combines arm crank ergometry and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMS) delivered at different phases of the crank cycle. Details of the device including circuit schematics are shown. The device was evaluated by non-paralyzed subjects for its operational safety and by tetraplegic subjects for its effectiveness as a muscle-strengthening tool. All subjects showed improvement in one or more of their manual muscle scores. The most dramatic increased motor score occurred in the triceps muscle group. There was an average increase in the manual muscle score of 1.1 +/- 0.2 for the left triceps and 0.7 +/- 0.1 for the right triceps after eight weeks of NMS assisted exercise. No adverse effects were experienced and it appears to meet safety considerations necessary for this group of individuals. Preliminary observations indicate that an eight-week exercise protocol that utilizes this device can be beneficial for this population.