Christos Stefanou
Athens University, Greece
Title: The Rising Role of Electrical Muscle Stimulation in Acute Disease and Rehabilitation Established applications and Research
Biography
Biography: Christos Stefanou
Abstract
Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) is an alternative form of exercise for individuals who cannot fully participate in physical therapy. Furthermore, there are numerous sequels that derive directly or indirectly from stimulating muscle tissue. These may be local or systematic, involving all body systems; yet related present knowledge is in its infancy –even in the case of exercise, about which much more is known. EMS exerts pleotropic effects and emerges as a basic, indispensable treatment modality in several fields of medicine for highly morbid conditions, such as, sarcopenia, venous thrombosis, pressure ulcers, pelvic floor dysfunction, or muscle re-education. Technical parameters of the application define the outcomes. There has been recent attention to the regenerative effects of EMS, which are of axial importance to people who suffer from acute or chronic diseases or conditions. Regeneration may be evidenced through the release of anabolic factors or mobilization of progenitor cells. Six FDA- approved general areas of the application and many more, increasingly supported in literature, are reviewed; and own research is presented, focusing on progenitor cell mobilization and safety.