Author(s)

Hideki Kataoka^1,2, Shunpei Nakashima¹, Hideki Aoki¹, Kyo Goto¹, Junichiro Yamashita¹, Yuichiro Honda^2,3, Yasutaka Kondo⁴, Tatsuya Hirase^2,5, Junya Sakamoto^2,5, Minoru Okita^2,5*

¹Department of Rehabilitation, Nagasaki Memorial Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
²Department of Physical Therapy Science, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
³Department of Rehabilitation, Nagasaki University Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
⁴Department of Rehabilitation, Nagasaki Genbaku Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
⁵Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.

Purpose: Belt electrode skeletal muscle electrical stimulation (B-SES) can stimulate large portions of muscles including deep sites without localisation of the stimulation area. The purpose of this study is to investigate both immediate treatment effects of B-SES and long-term treatment effects of B-SES with passive exercise on range of motion (ROM) and muscle tone of lower extremities in bedridden elderly patients. Methods: Outcome measures before and after B-SES treatment alone (4 Hz, 20 min, both lower extremities) were examined for the immediate effect. Outcome measures were: ROM and Modified Ashworth scale (MAS) of hip flexion and adduction; knee flexion and extension; and knee joint distance at position of flexion abduction in hip (distance of knee). A randomized crossover trial was conducted to examine the long-term effect of adding B-SES to passive exercise on ROM and MAS. Results and Discussion: The immediate effect study had 18 patients. ROM and MAS of 4 joint angles in 2 joints and distance of knee significantly improved after B-SES treatment. The long-term effect study had 11 patients. Friedman test revealed ROM and MAS of 4 joint angles in 2 joints and distance of knee significantly improved during B-SES intervention but not control intervention. B-SES in addition to passive stretch has a more statistically significant effect on contracture and spasticity in large portions of the lower extremities of bedridden elderly patients than passive stretching alone. Conclusions: We consider B-SES a useful tool to improve the ROM in lower extremities of bedridden patients.

Bedridden Patients, Belt Electrode Skeletal Muscle Electrical Stimulation, Lower Extremity, Muscle Tone, Restriction of Range of Joint Motion

Kataoka, H. , Nakashima, S. , Aoki, H. , Goto, K. , Yamashita, J. , Honda, Y. , Kondo, Y. , Hirase, T. , Sakamoto, J. and Okita, M. (2019) Electrical Stimulation in Addition to Passive Exercise Has a Small Effect on Spasticity and Range of Motion in Bedridden Elderly Patients: A Pilot Randomized Crossover Study. Health, 11, 1072-1086. doi: 10.4236/health.2019.118084.