The MyoCycle Pro uses Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) technology to allow disabled individuals to exercise and maintain a healthier lifestyle.
FES stands for Functional Electrical Stimulation. Before we can understand what FES is and how it works, we first need to understand why we need FES.
The human brain controls the body’s movement by sending electrical signals through nerves to muscles. These signals tell the muscles to contract and cause movement. If the brain or nerves get damaged, the electrical signals won’t reach the muscles, so the muscles won’t contract when we want them to. When a muscle won’t contract at all when we want it to, we call that paralysis. When only part of the muscle contracts when we want it to, we call that partial paralysis or paresis. When the muscles contract on their own when we don’t want them to, we call that a muscle spasm or spasticity.
While FES-cycling is typically associated with spinal cord injury, its benefits extend to people with other neurological disorders, especially stroke and MS. These benefits include:
· Improved walking and cycling ability · Increased muscle strength · Improved physical, mental, and social well-being · Better quality of life
Exciting research into the benefits of FES-cycling for people with MS is being conducted at places like the Shepherd Center and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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