Described by its strength (charge), rate of flow (current), drivingforce (voltage), and opposition (resistance/impedance)
Ohm's Law
Relationship between current, voltage, and resistance
Excitable tissues
Nerve, skeletal muscle, smooth muscle, and cardiac muscle in which there is the ability of neurons and neurotransmitters to conduct signals
Impedance
The body's opposition to current flow, resulting from the combination of resistive and capacitive reactance properties of tissue
Capacitance
The ability to store charge in an electric field and oppose change in current flow
Nerve and muscle membranes
Examples of capacitors
Current flow
Occurs when there is a source of energy creating a difference in electrical potential and a conducting pathway between the two potentials
Therapeutic electrical stimulation
Charge transfer occurs between the electrical generator and the biological tissue at the electrode interface
Ionic flow
Positive ions (cations) are repelled from the positive electrode and migrate toward the negative electrode (cathode), whereas the negative ions (anions) migrate toward the positive electrode (anode)
Therapeutic electrical stimulation units
Direct current (DC)
Alternating current (AC)
Pulsatile (pulsed) current
Direct current (DC)
Continuous unidirectional flow of charged particles with a duration of at least 1 second
Direct current (DC) applications
Dennervated muscles
Iontophoresis
Wound Healing
Interrupted (pulsed) direct current
Short (<10 ms) - Innervated muscles
Long (>10 ms) - Dennervated muscle
Alternating current (AC)
Uninterrupted bidirectional flow of charged particles changing direction at least once a second
Pulsatilecurrent
Unidirectional (like DC) or bidirectional (like AC) flow of charged particles periodically ceasing for less than 1 second (milliseconds or microseconds) before the next electrical event
Waveform
Visual representation of the pulse or event, depicting the shape, amplitude (strength), and duration
Waveformtypes
Monophasic - entire event takes place either above or below isoelectric zero
Biphasic - two phases with one above and one below isoelectric zero
Polyphasic - multiple phases occurring above and below isoelectric zero
Criteria for depolarization
The stimulus must be strong enough
The stimulus must be fast enough
The stimulus must be long enough
Peak amplitude
Maximum current or voltage delivered in one phase of a pulse, determining strength of stimulation
Rise time
Time it takes for the amplitude of the pulse to increase from zero to peak amplitude, affecting ability to excite nervous tissue
Decay time
Time it takes for the peak amplitude to decreasebackdown to zero, defining the terminal end of the phase
Intrapulse interval
Time-periodbetweentheendofonephase and the beginning of the second phase of one pulse
Phase duration
Time period extending from the beginning to the end of one phase of a pulse
Pulseduration
Time interval between the beginning and end of all the phases of the pulse, including the intrapulseinterval
Phase charge
Amount of electrical energy delivered to the tissue with each phase of each pulse, measured in micro coulombs per second (µC/sec)
Frequency
The body responds to the number of pulses, not the number of phases
Twitch response
At least one motor unit is responding to the stimulus, producing a non-functional muscle contraction
Tetanic muscle contraction
More motor units contracttogether in a meaningfulway
Duty cycle
Represents the on-and-offtime and the ratio between them when there is more than one channel on the electrical stimulation unit
Ramptime
Increase in amplitude to peak of thepulsetrain, how long it takes for the current to go from zero to peak amplitude and back down to zero
Total current (average current)
Amount of current delivered to the tissue per second, measured in milliamperes (mAmps or mA)
Accommodation
The ability of muscle cells to accommodate
Indications for ES
Musclespasm
ImpairedROM
Conditions treated with ES
Musclere-education
DisuseAtrophy
Softtissuerepair
Edemareduction
Spasticity
Denervatedmuscles
Indications for FES
Disuse atrophy
Impaired ROM
Muscle spasm
Muscle reeducation
Spasticity management
Indications for TENS
Post op pain
During labor and delivery
Bone Fx
Chronic pain
Trigeminal neuralgia
Phantom pain
Antiemetic effects
Improved blood flow
Unstable fracture
Decreasedsensation
Impairedcognitiveability
Pregnancy
Heart problems
Documented evidence of epilepsy, cerebral vascular accident, or reversible ischemic neurological deficit