One year of training with FES has impressive beneficial effects in a 36-year-old woman with spinal cord injury

Context: Reductions of muscular and cardiorespiratory functions are often observed in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and several studies demonstrated the benefits of aerobic and strengthening exercise training for this population. Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) of paralyzed muscles has been proposed as a strategy to assist patients in executing functional movement but its utilization during long durations has never been investigated. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of a one-year training program with FES (strengthening and rowing) in one subject with SCI. Evoked torque, quadriceps muscle thickness, aerobic exercise capacity and bone mineral density were tested. Findings: All parameters increased after training: average evoked torque + 151%, quadriceps muscle thickness + 136%, thigh circumference + 14%, bone density + 19%, maximal oxygen uptake + 76% and oxygen uptake at ventilatory threshold + 111%. Conclusion: These impressive improvements demonstrate that FES training offers several interesting clinical benefits in a patient with SCI.