A study from the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury, published ahead-of-print, has found that long-term lower extremity functional electrical stimulation cycling, as part of a rehabilitation regimen, is associated with substantial improvements in individuals with chronic spinal cord injury. Improvements include neurological and functional gains, as well as enhanced physical health demonstrated by decreased fat, increased muscle mass and improved lipid profile. Prior to this study’s publication on 4 March 2013 in the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, the benefits of activity-based restorative therapy programmes, such as functional electrical stimulation cycling, were largely anecdotal. (excerpt)
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