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Uses of Electrical Stimulation for the Rehabilitation of People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Review

Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports volume 5, pages 121–133 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The aim of this review is to summarize the literature regarding use of electrical stimulation in the rehabilitation of people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Recent Findings

While significant work has been done to study the effect of electrical stimulation in stroke and spinal cord injury, few studies have looked at degenerative diseases including MS.

Summary

To date, limited high-quality evidence is available to demonstrate definitive benefits of electrical stimulation. This review considers the potential benefits of electrical stimulation for the management of foot drop, pain, spasticity, weakness, and bladder/bowel dysfunction in people with MS.

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References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: •• Of major importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Center for Spinal Cord Injury, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 801 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Kristin Sternowski & Kimberly Perone

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  1. Kristin Sternowski
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  2. Kimberly Perone
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Correspondence to Kristin Sternowski.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

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Sternowski, K., Perone, K. Uses of Electrical Stimulation for the Rehabilitation of People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Review. Curr Phys Med Rehabil Rep 5, 121–133 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40141-017-0157-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40141-017-0157-6

Keywords

  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Neuromuscular electrical stimulation
  • Functional electrical stimulation
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
  • Rehabilitation