The Vienna FES Interview Protocol - A mixed-methods protocol to elucidate the opinions of various individuals responsible for the provision of FES exercise

A nation-wide survey exploring the views of current and future use of functional electrical stimulation in spinal cord injury

PURPOSE

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) can be effective in assisting physical and psychosocial difficulties experienced by people with spinal cord injury. Perceived benefits and barriers of the current and future use of FES within the wider spinal cord injury community is currently unknown. The main objective of this research was to explore the spinal cord injury community's views of the use of FES to decrease disability in rehabilitation programmes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An online and paper questionnaire was distributed to people with spinal cord injury, health care professionals and researchers working in spinal cord injury settings in the United Kingdom.

RESULTS

A total of 299 participants completed the survey (152 people with spinal cord injury, 141 health care professionals and 6 researchers). Common views between groups identified were: (1) FES can be beneficial in improving physical and psychosocial aspects and that (2) adequate support and training for FES application was provided to users. Barriers to FES use included a lack of staff time and training, financial cost and availability of the equipment. Sixty three percent of non-users felt they would use FES in the future if they had the opportunity.

CONCLUSIONS

Users' views were important in identifying that FES application can be beneficial for people with spinal cord injury but also has some resourceful barriers. In order to increase use, future research should focus on reducing the cost of FES clinical service and also address implementation of awareness and training programmes within spinal units and community rehabilitation settings.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONUsers of functional electrical stimulation think that it is beneficial for improving physical and psychosocial limitations after spinal cord injuryBarriers to FES use include a lack of staff time and training, financial cost and availability of the equipment have been suggested by people with spinal cord injury and health care professionals Education and implementation programs for health care professionals and people with spinal cord injury are now necessary to increase the awareness about functional electrical stimulation applicationReduction of FES cost could also increase its uptake in spinal cord injury clinical services.

Functional Electrical Stimulation Cycling Exercise for People with Multiple Sclerosis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

There has been substantial interest in the role of exercise for managing impairments, limitations, and disability progression among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite established benefits of exercise training for persons who have mild-to-moderate MS, the ability to deliver exercise to persons who experience higher disability remains challenging. One promising approach for exercise in this population is functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling. This review provides a summary of the current evidence for FES cycling as an exercise training modality in persons with MS with respect to prescription, safety, tolerability, and acute and chronic effects.

RECENT FINDINGS

We searched the literature for studies involving FES cycling exercise in persons with MS published in English up until July 2019. Eight studies were retrieved: two studies examined acute effects, two studies examined chronic effects, and four studies reported on both acute and chronic effects of FES cycling exercise. The overall quality of the studies was low, with only one, small, randomized controlled trial (RCT). There is limited but promising evidence for the application of FES cycling exercise among persons with MS who have moderate-to-severe disability. Participants were capable of engaging in regular FES cycling exercise (~ 30 min, 2-3×/week), with few, mild adverse events experienced. Preliminary evidence from small, mostly uncontrolled trials supports the potential benefits of FES cycling on physiological fitness, walking mobility, and symptoms of fatigue and pain. High-quality RCTs of FES cycling exercise are necessary for providing recommendations for integrating exercise training in the management of advanced MS.

2019 Ejtm Special on Muscle Fascia

For many years the fasciae have been considered by the anatomists only as a "white envelope for the muscles", that is generally removed in anatomical tables, to recognize muscle nerves and vessels. This is one of the reasons that different descriptions of the fasciae exist. On the other hand, in the last years the fasciae and their properties are becoming of central importance to clinicians practicing in various conventional and alternative therapies. The results from the worldwide research activities constitute a body of significant and important data, but this clinical interest is not supported by in-depth comprehension to how integrate the new knowledge about fasciae with the classical biomechanical models based on muscles, tendons and bones. To close this gap an Ejtm Special on "Muscle Fascia" will be published September 30, 2019, but the typescripts will be added to the Ejtm Early Release list as soon as all authors will approve their Epub papers. Deadline for original articles and reviews is June 1st, 2019, but the Editors hope that authors submit their typescripts much earlier.

EJTM3 is also covering Mobility and Medicine at large, an update

Since the first 2018 issue, the European Journal of Translational Myology expanded its authorship and readership from the strict topics of biology, physiology, diagnostic, management and rehabilitation of skeletal muscle to the more clinically relevant fields of human mobility to those of general medicine. This third issue opens with a review on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a very complex medical problem, as its other names testify (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease). A more typical molecular myology original article follows (Increasing autophagy does not affect neurogenic muscle atrophy), but then several Rapid Reports cover different Medical Specialties fields, related or unrelated to neuromyology, mobility problems and their potential solutions. The Advisors of EJTM invite Authors to submit typescripts, taking into account that the journal is keen to publish high-level papers in the fields of Translational Myology, Mobility and Medicine at large.