Top 3 Methods for Paralyzed Muscle Activation

Modern advancements in physical therapy make it easier than ever to help a patient living with paralysis to activate those paralyzed muscles. What are the top three ways to get paralyzed muscles some exercise? What are the benefits of these therapies? We’re about to consider activity-based therapy, a functional electrical stimulation bike, and Lokomat therapy. Then, we will help you to prepare for your paralysis recovery journey. 

What Is Activity-Based Therapy?

Activity-based therapy targets your neuromuscular system. The exercises will have a level of intensity that provides two-fold benefits. First of all, it can help your cardiovascular and respiratory health because these are intense workouts. The second benefit is that it retrains your neuromuscular system to regain motor skills. In short, it gives you a chance to restore some motion by helping your brain find new ways to connect to the non-functioning paralyzed muscles. 

Technically, the other two therapies’ we are going to discuss fall under the broader category of activity-based therapy. However, there is more to activity-based therapy than the use of a Lokomat or a functional electrical stimulation bike. Those are two of the most modern advancements in this type of physical therapy for people living with paralysis. 

This is a viable form of therapy for SCI patients, regardless of whether your injury is complete or incomplete and whether you are dealing with paralysis or paresis. The recommendation is to have at least three half-hour sessions per week in order to maximize your cardiovascular and respiratory results. However, you will want to perform activity-based therapy as often as possible if your goal is to try and restore function. 

Even if you are not able to restore function, you still get the overall health benefits of intense exercise. Additional benefits may include a reduction in muscle spasticity. Spasticity occurs when a muscle stays locked in an activated position. This often happens when you cannot use the muscle on your own. Getting exercise for the paralyzed muscle can help it to release. 

Now, let’s take a closer look at our other two forms of therapy that can help you to reach your recovery goals by getting exercise for those paralyzed muscles. 

How Does a Functional Electrical Stimulation Bike Work? 

First, we need to begin by explaining what functional electrical stimulation (FES) is and how it works. FES involves the use of a device to send controlled electrical impulses into the muscles. These impulses cause the muscles to activate, much like the electrical impulse sent through your nervous system would. In this way, you can activate and exercise non-functional paralyzed muscles. Once again, this form of therapy allows you to get exercise for paralyzed muscles. It also can help with spasticity and work to maintain tone and bone density. 

A functional electrical stimulation bike adds an activity-based exercise to the already beneficial FES therapy. An FES bike uses a computer to send the right impulses at the right time so that you can use a stationary cycle and both pedal while getting an upper body workout utilizing a handcycle simultaneously. In this way, the legs can get exercise, even if a person is living with paraplegia. Amazingly, the FES bike even allows for the use of paralyzed muscles for a person living with quadriplegia. Thus, this may be the best way to exercise paralyzed muscles, depending on the severity of your SCI. 

What Is Lokomat Therapy? 

The Lokomat is a particular brand of an unweighing treadmill. It makes use of a harness and a robotic exoskeleton to help patients walk on a treadmill. For someone living with paralysis, this can have many advantages. For one thing, the lower half of the body is getting passive exercise, even if you are unable to operate the muscles on your own. Additionally, the training can help to reduce spasticity in the muscles. However, there are far more benefits than these alone.

The Lokomat produces a natural gait, which performs a two-fold purpose. One, it simulates a natural walking pattern for the body, which can help it to remember the movements and search for new ways to repeat them. Second, it provides aerobic exercise that improves blood flow, heart health, and more. Once again, you get the physical benefits of an activity-based therapy session along with attempts to restore function. 

Of course, this technology is state of the art, so you can’t expect it to be at every activity-based therapy center. How can you take advantage of the therapy types mentioned here and maximize your paralysis recovery? 

Maximizing the Results of Your Paralysis Recovery

If you want to get the benefits of the top methods for activating paralyzed muscles, then there are two things that you need to do. First, you need to find a state of the art activity-based therapy center like iAM ABLE, where we blend the best of traditional and modern methods of therapy. Second, you need to go into your recovery with the right mindset. Paralysis recovery doesn’t happen overnight, so you need to be mentally prepared for a long journey. That is why we want to introduce you to the eBook: 7 Unbelievably Important Steps to Take to Thrive after Paralysis. 

This publication can help give you the motivation you need to undergo a lengthy recovery. While there are many challenges ahead, don’t allow discouragement to stop you from maximizing your independence and reaching your recovery goals.

Grab our free e-book 7 Unbelievably Important Steps to Take to THRIVE after Paralysis by clicking the image below.