The immediate effect of FES and TENS on gait parameters in patients after stroke.
Shin-Jun Park, Joong-San Wang
PMID 29643608WHAT IT FOUND
No gait parameter changed more with FES added to exercise than with TENS added to exercise.
In the FES group only, cadence and speed rose after the 30-minute session; TENS did not show a change in either measure.
Key findings
01There was no significant difference in any measured gait parameter between the FES group and the TENS group after the intervention.
02Cadence and speed significantly increased after intervention only in the FES group.
03Stride length, swing phase duration, stance phase duration, and double support duration showed no significant difference in both groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only immediate effects were measured, so it does not show whether cadence and speed changes persist or improve with repeated sessions. The groups had 15 patients each, and the paper found no significant between-group difference in any gait parameter. Both electrotherapy groups received the same therapeutic exercise, so the study cannot separate the contribution of FES, TENS, or exercise. The authors state that they did not evaluate psychological effects, lower limb spasticity, or dorsiflexor strength. The study excluded patients with a Korean MMSE score of 24 or lower and required certain motor abilities, so it does not address more impaired stroke patients. All interventions were performed by one physical therapist, so the result may reflect that delivery.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that FES alone improved gait, because every participant also received therapeutic exercise during the 30-minute session. The study cannot separate the contribution of FES, TENS, or the exercise.