Transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulation

Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven and VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. 

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Figure 2 Use of TCEMS combined with walking exercise. Abbreviation TCEMS, transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulation. Source From accelerated clinical practice, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, www.acplus.com (45).

Abbreviations-. TCEMS, transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulation CHF, congestive heart failure COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Vo2max, peak oxygen consumption NYHA, New York heart association CSA, cross-sectional area Wmax, maximal workload CRQ, chronic respiratory disease questionnaire. 

Figure 4 Improvements in muscle strength (maximal voluntary contraction) and walking distance following TCEMS plus usual rehabilitation as compared with usual rehabilitation alone among severely debilitated patients with COPD. Abbreviations TCEMS, transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulation COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Source From Ref. 80.

Bourjeily-Habr G, Rochester CL, Palermo F, et al. Randomized controlled trial of transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulation of the lower extremities in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax 2002 57 1045-1049. 

Vinge O, Edvardsen L, Jensen F, et al. Effect of transcutaneous electrical muscle stimulation on post-operative mass and protein synthesis. Br J Surg 1996 83 360-363. 

Mrs KR should be advised to try and lose weight. She may wish to discuss the possibility of physiotherapy treatment with her GP. Patients should be encouraged to exercise gently and that exercise should include local muscle stretching and general aerobic exercise. The use of heat and cold therapy may help, as may ultrasound. Some patients may find a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machine is helpful. 

Therefore, the muscles are especially trained during and after disk herniation to protect the backbone and to prevent the patient from further complaints and pain. Before a disk herniation can be treated, however, the symptoms have to be examined. In three-quarters of the cases the disk herniation can be treated with physiotherapy, medication and targeted exercises together with specialists. The physiotherapist also uses electrostimulation therapy, called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. 

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. Water-containing, ionically conductive pol piers are used in transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) treatment to deUv electrical pulses to the underlying n e and muscle tissue to eitho rdieve acute and chronic pain or to repair and regoiorate damaged tissue (2). TENS electrodes typically consist of a nonmetallic conductor, an adhesive t patch, and a conductive gel medium between the skin and the conductor. 

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