Functional electrical stimulation for upper limb strengthening in traumatic quadriplegia.

The hypothesis of this study was that the functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted exercise of partially paralyzed arm muscles would result in significantly greater muscle strength in the arms of spinal cord injured quadriplegics than equal periods of conventional isotonic exercise. Single muscles were studied in seven subjects in a crossover design consisting of equal periods of FES-assisted exercise and conventional exercise. It was concluded that for these subjects using this exercise regime, neither FES-assisted exercise nor conventional exercise produced improvements in maximum voluntary force that were either statistically or functionally significant. The results, although disappointing, have helped these subjects to be more realistic about the potential therapeutic benefits of FES.

The conservative management of scoliosis in children and adolescents, and the use of the milwaukee brace.

Many children and adolescents with scoliosis are referred to the physiotherapist for conservative treatment. These scolioses include all types, congenital, idiopathic and paralytic curves in the infantile, juvenile and adolescent age groups.