Uploaded January 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Topics in NeuroRehabilitation – Episode 21. Judy Meier, PT from MYOLYN provides a overview of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) cycling for both clinic and home use settings. Judy talks through the clinical benefits of FES cycling, and outlines some of the patient populations who can benefit from FES cycling programs, including individuals with diagnoses of SCI, TBI, MS, or CVA, and how therapists’ treatment plans may adapt to the different goals for each of these diagnoses. Judy also elaborates on how clinicians can evaluate and prepare patients for potential home FES cycling programs for longer term therapeutic interventions.
To learn more about the MYOLYN cycles discussed in this episode, please visit: rewalk.com/resource-center/myolyn-myocycle-functional-electrical-stimulation-fes-bikes
You can also download the Clinical Resource Summary that Judy mentions here: rewalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Clinical-Benefits-of-FES-Cycling.pdf
In case you missed last month’s episode, be sure to check out Episode 20 of Topics in NeuroRehabilitation here: youtube.com/watch?v=TmRDQ5_oym8&list=PLqp_VphhkIqgqWfHGtVMOca2TZU3kXLwV&index=20
References:
MYOLYN website: myolyn.com
Spasticity:
Bremner, L. A., et al. "A clinical exercise system for paraplegics using functional electrical stimulation." Spinal Cord 30.9 (1992): 647-655. nature.com/articles/sc1992128
Krause, Phillip, Johann Szecsi, and Andreas Straube. "Changes in spastic muscle tone increase in patients with spinal cord injury using functional electrical stimulation and passive leg movements." Clinical rehabilitation 22.7 (2008): 627-634. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0269215507084648
Yeh, Chun-Yu, et al. "Effect of a bout of leg cycling with electrical stimulation on reduction of hypertonia in patients with stroke." Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation 91.11 (2010): 1731-1736. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003999310006532?casa_token=MlOeY6DiiksAAAAA:U_73e1hT0cxb-mFdd5w95HDNFFzCcLyi_YyCtB5_jRh82fu0YAme9y6kq48cW5NCxQjSliI3Ihg
Bone Density:
Mohr, T., et al. "Increased bone mineral density after prolonged electrically induced cycle training of paralyzed limbs in spinal cord injured man." Calcified tissue international 61.1 (1997): 22-25. link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s002239900286
Frotzler, Angela, et al. "High-volume FES-cycling partially reverses bone loss in people with chronic spinal cord injury." Bone 43.1 (2008): 169-176. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8756328208001348?casa_token=w_jJkvIRmqgAAAAA:WOLmzoNn6fg4aJa8nq7MsrcfWbFXr_LVBkZhzXi6c5IerYhdsXdQRfx_BinkX6BFRRHkZ9hv_wk
Prevent Atrophy/Build Muscle:
Sloan, K. E., et al. "Musculoskeletal effects of an electrical stimulation induced cycling programme in the spinal injured." Spinal Cord 32.6 (1994): 407-415. nature.com/articles/sc199467
Scremin, AM Erika, et al. "Increasing muscle mass in spinal cord injured persons with a functional electrical stimulation exercise program." Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation 80.12 (1999): 1531-1536. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000399939990326X?casa_token=VdS5elLzVnsAAAAA:vBQ1jNrMgjIHN-4AsAiBdaMlINk83-elC3QCkxFN9Sqj12ll-_VSZGVq7OrafuMFae5qe4ok7uI
Increase Strength:
Hooker, Steven P., et al. "Peak and submaximal physiologic responses following electrical stimulation leg cycle ergometer training." Journal of rehabilitation research and development 32 (1995): 361-366. rehab.research.va.gov/jour/95/32/4/pdf/hooker.pdf
Bloomfield, S. A., Walter Jerry Mysiw, and Rebecca Dorothy Jackson. "Bone mass and endocrine adaptations to training in spinal cord injured individuals." Bone 19.1 (1996): 61-68. sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/8756328296001093
Multiple Sclerosis and Stroke:
Szecsi, Johann, et al. "Functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling of patients with multiple sclerosis: biomechanical and functional outcome–a pilot study." Journal of rehabilitation medicine 41.8 (2009): 674-680. europepmc.org/article/med/19565162
Fornusek, Ché, and Phu Hoang. "Neuromuscular electrical stimulation cycling exercise for persons with advanced multiple sclerosis." Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 46.7 (2014): 698-702. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24763902
Ambrosini, Emilia, et al. "Cycling induced by electrical stimulation improves muscle activation and symmetry during pedaling in hemiparetic patients." IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering 20.3 (2012): 320-330.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6183518
Topics in NeuroRehabilitation – Episode 21. Judy Meier, PT from MYOLYN provides a overview of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) cycling for both clinic and home use settings. Judy talks through the clinical benefits of FES cycling, and outlines some of the patient populations who can benefit from FES cycling programs, including individuals with diagnoses of SCI, TBI, MS, or CVA, and how therapists’ treatment plans may adapt to the different goals for each of these diagnoses. Judy also elaborates on how clinicians can evaluate and prepare patients for potential home FES cycling programs for longer term therapeutic interventions.
To learn more about the MYOLYN cycles discussed in this episode, please visit: rewalk.com/resource-center/myolyn-myocycle-functional-electrical-stimulation-fes-bikes
You can also download the Clinical Resource Summary that Judy mentions here: rewalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Clinical-Benefits-of-FES-Cycling.pdf
In case you missed last month’s episode, be sure to check out Episode 20 of Topics in NeuroRehabilitation here: youtube.com/watch?v=TmRDQ5_oym8&list=PLqp_VphhkIqgqWfHGtVMOca2TZU3kXLwV&index=20
References:
MYOLYN website: myolyn.com
Spasticity:
Bremner, L. A., et al. "A clinical exercise system for paraplegics using functional electrical stimulation." Spinal Cord 30.9 (1992): 647-655. nature.com/articles/sc1992128
Krause, Phillip, Johann Szecsi, and Andreas Straube. "Changes in spastic muscle tone increase in patients with spinal cord injury using functional electrical stimulation and passive leg movements." Clinical rehabilitation 22.7 (2008): 627-634. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0269215507084648
Yeh, Chun-Yu, et al. "Effect of a bout of leg cycling with electrical stimulation on reduction of hypertonia in patients with stroke." Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation 91.11 (2010): 1731-1736. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003999310006532?casa_token=MlOeY6DiiksAAAAA:U_73e1hT0cxb-mFdd5w95HDNFFzCcLyi_YyCtB5_jRh82fu0YAme9y6kq48cW5NCxQjSliI3Ihg
Bone Density:
Mohr, T., et al. "Increased bone mineral density after prolonged electrically induced cycle training of paralyzed limbs in spinal cord injured man." Calcified tissue international 61.1 (1997): 22-25. link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s002239900286
Frotzler, Angela, et al. "High-volume FES-cycling partially reverses bone loss in people with chronic spinal cord injury." Bone 43.1 (2008): 169-176. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S8756328208001348?casa_token=w_jJkvIRmqgAAAAA:WOLmzoNn6fg4aJa8nq7MsrcfWbFXr_LVBkZhzXi6c5IerYhdsXdQRfx_BinkX6BFRRHkZ9hv_wk
Prevent Atrophy/Build Muscle:
Sloan, K. E., et al. "Musculoskeletal effects of an electrical stimulation induced cycling programme in the spinal injured." Spinal Cord 32.6 (1994): 407-415. nature.com/articles/sc199467
Scremin, AM Erika, et al. "Increasing muscle mass in spinal cord injured persons with a functional electrical stimulation exercise program." Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation 80.12 (1999): 1531-1536. sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000399939990326X?casa_token=VdS5elLzVnsAAAAA:vBQ1jNrMgjIHN-4AsAiBdaMlINk83-elC3QCkxFN9Sqj12ll-_VSZGVq7OrafuMFae5qe4ok7uI
Increase Strength:
Hooker, Steven P., et al. "Peak and submaximal physiologic responses following electrical stimulation leg cycle ergometer training." Journal of rehabilitation research and development 32 (1995): 361-366. rehab.research.va.gov/jour/95/32/4/pdf/hooker.pdf
Bloomfield, S. A., Walter Jerry Mysiw, and Rebecca Dorothy Jackson. "Bone mass and endocrine adaptations to training in spinal cord injured individuals." Bone 19.1 (1996): 61-68. sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/8756328296001093
Multiple Sclerosis and Stroke:
Szecsi, Johann, et al. "Functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling of patients with multiple sclerosis: biomechanical and functional outcome–a pilot study." Journal of rehabilitation medicine 41.8 (2009): 674-680. europepmc.org/article/med/19565162
Fornusek, Ché, and Phu Hoang. "Neuromuscular electrical stimulation cycling exercise for persons with advanced multiple sclerosis." Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 46.7 (2014): 698-702. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24763902
Ambrosini, Emilia, et al. "Cycling induced by electrical stimulation improves muscle activation and symmetry during pedaling in hemiparetic patients." IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering 20.3 (2012): 320-330.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6183518
