Aimed Electric Stimulation and Its Influence on Distant Muscular Groups

Overview

Electric stimulation belongs to routinely used methods in physical medicine. It has been also used, over the last years, in research to evoke so called “artificial spasm”. There are reports dealing with EMG changes in stimulated muscles, but no reports were found which would deal with possible effects on distant muscles. In this pilot study the authors attempted to obtain basal information on the effect of electric stimulation on the stimulated muscle and distant muscular groups and, also, to verify, whether the response depends on the type of current and its frequency. The stimulation was mediated by the Neuroton 926 device at the position of motor point of m. biceps brachii l.dx. by low-frequency TENS surge current on the frequency of 10–30 Hz, 50 Hz, 30–60 Hz and 100–200 Hz and by the medium frequency current with frequency modulation of 50 Hz, 62.5 Hz, 90 Hz and 142 Hz, respectively. The surface polyEMG Noraxon device was used to record electric response in the course of stimulation in both of m. biceps brachii, m. tricept brachii, m. trapezium, m. tibialis, m. biceps femoris and m. peroneus longus. The EMG records obtained were subsequently processed by means of Fourier rapid transformation and the results were evaluated visually.

Key words:
electric stimulation, EMG