Neuromuscular electrical stimulation in stroke rehabilitation

We briefly review the literature related to the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (ES) in promoting recovery from stroke. ES can be used to facilitate motor learning in ankle dorsiflexion and wrist extension. It also has been shown to be beneficial in reducing shoulder subluxation but inconsistent in reducing shoulder pain. The mechanism of benefit of ES is unknown, but increased synaptic effectiveness has been suggested.