Study: Electronically Stimulating Muscles at Home Can Improve Osteoarthritis

Electronically stimulating muscles at home can improve the ability of people with knee osteoarthritis to function, according to a study reported in the July issue of the Journal of Rheumatology.

Dr. Laura Talbot, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, and her colleagues found that home-based neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) applied to the quadriceps muscle increases strength, physical activity and physical performance in older adults with knee osteoarthritis.

The study involved 34 adults over the age of 60 with osteoarthritis of the knee. All of the participants received standard arthritis education, but some also stimulated their quadriceps muscle with a portable electric muscle stimulator three days a week.

Patients receiving the electrical stimulation had better knee extension, while those receiving just the arthritis education experienced a loss of knee extension. It took people in both groups less time to rise from their chairs, but those in the electrical stimulation group did better. Patients in both groups similarly improved the the amount of time it took them to talk 100 feet. The severity of pain reported following intervention did not differ between groups.

"In older adults with knee osteoarthritis, a home-based NMES protocol appears to be a promising therapy for increasing quadriceps femoris strength in adults with knee osteoarthritis without exacerbating painful symptoms.

Other sources: Journal of Rheumatology 2003;30:1571-8