Electric Stimulation for RSD / CRPS (Chad’s Review)

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) also known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy  (RSD), causalgia, and a host of other names is kind of like headaches and neuropathy were for me. In that I didn’t initially have any particular interest in the condition but I have a tremendous interests in electric stimulation, particularly electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) … Read more

Intermittent Fasting, BDNF, Depression, More

Dietary restriction stimulates BDNF production in the brain and thereby protects neurons against excitotoxic injury. Duan W, Lee J, Guo Z, Mattson MP. J Mol Neurosci. 2001 Feb;16(1):1-12. [FREE FULL TEXT] AbstractDietary restriction (DR) increases the lifespan of rodents and increases their resistance to several different age-related diseases including cancer and diabetes. Beneficial effects of … Read more

Ness Handmaster EMS for Stroke, Didn’t Appear to Work

Electrical stimulation of the upper limb in stroke: stimulation of the extensors of the hand vs. alternate stimulation of flexors and extensors. de Kroon JR, IJzerman MJ, Lankhorst GJ, Zilvold G. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 2004 Aug;83(8):592-600. AbstractOBJECTIVE:To investigate whether there is a difference in functional improvement in the affected arm of … Read more

Electrical Stimulation for Paraplegia (Good News and Bad)

Muscle biopsies show that FES of denervated muscles reverses human muscle degeneration from permanent spinal motoneuron lesion. Kern H, Rossini K, Carraro U, Mayr W, Vogelauer M, Hoellwarth U, Hofer C.  J Rehabil Res Dev. 2005 May-Jun;42(3 Suppl 1):43-53. AbstractThis paper presents biopsy analyses in support of the clinical evidence of muscle recovery induced by … Read more

Electrical Stimulation for Aerobics

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation can elicit aerobic exercise response without undue discomfort in healthy physically active adults. Crognale D, Vito GD, Grosset JF, Crowe L, Minogue C, Caulfield B. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Jan;27(1):208-15.[Free Full Text] Abstract Recent studies have suggested that subtetanic neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) protocols applied to the quadriceps and hamstrings may … Read more

Intermittent Fasting (16/8) Improves Stroke Recovery

Intermittent fasting attenuates increases in neurogenesis after ischemia and reperfusion and improves recovery. Manzanero S, Erion JR, Santro T, Steyn FJ, Chen C, Arumugam TV, Stranahan AM. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2014 May;34(5):897-905 [FREE FULL TEXT] AbstractIntermittent fasting (IF) is neuroprotective across a range of insults, but the question of whether extending the interval … Read more

Physical Therapy for Parkinson’s Loses to Strength & Conditioning

Comparison of strength training, aerobic training, and additional physical therapy as supplementary treatments for Parkinson’s disease: pilot study. Carvalho A, Barbirato D, Araujo N, Martins JV, Cavalcanti JL, Santos TM, Coutinho ES, Laks J, Deslandes AC. Clin Interv Aging. 2015 Jan 7;10:183-91. AbstractINTRODUCTION:Physical rehabilitation is commonly used in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to improve … Read more

Calorie Restriction Prevents Peripheral Nerve Damage

Lifelong calorie restriction alleviates age-related oxidative damage in peripheral nerves. Opalach K1, Rangaraju S, Madorsky I, Leeuwenburgh C, Notterpek L. Rejuvenation Res. 2010 Feb;13(1):65-74.  AbstractAging is associated with protein damage and imbalance in redox status in a variety of cells and tissues, yet little is known about the extent of age-related oxidative stress in the peripheral nervous … Read more

EMS Effects the Brain as well as Muscles

Functional MRI determination of a dose-response relationship to lower extremity neuromuscular electrical stimulation in healthy subjects. Exp Brain Res. 2003 May;150(1):33-9. Epub 2003 Mar 27. Smith GV1, Alon G, Roys SR, Gullapalli RP. AbstractAlthough empirical evidence supports the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to treat physical impairments associated with stroke, the mechanisms underlying the … Read more

Creatine Increases Strength with Parkinson’s Disease

Resistance training with creatine monohydrate improves upper-body strength in patients with Parkinson disease: a randomized trial. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2007 Mar-Apr;21(2):107-15. Hass CJ, Collins MA, Juncos JL. AbstractBACKGROUND:Persons with Parkinson disease (PD) exhibit decreased muscular fitness including decreased muscle mass, muscle strength, bioenergetic capabilities and increased fatigability.OBJECTIVE:This purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the therapeutic effects … Read more

Post-Concussion Syndrome Treated With Aerobic Exercise

A preliminary study of subsymptom threshold exercise training for refractory post-concussion syndrome. Clin J Sport Med. 2010 Jan;20(1):21-7.  Leddy JJ, Kozlowski K, Donnelly JP, Pendergast DR, Epstein LH, Willer B. AbstractOBJECTIVE:To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of subsymptom threshold exercise training for the treatment of post-concussion syndrome (PCS). DESIGN:Prospective case series. SETTING:University Sports Medicine Concussion … Read more