Abstract
Electrical stimulation has been used as a therapeutic tool for strength training, improving synaptic efficiency of muscles, increasing blood flow to specific muscles, and offering active muscle assistance during gait that can overcome the locomotor deficiencies experienced by children with cerebral palsy. Three types of electrical stimulation are commonly used. One electrical stimulation method said to increase blood flow to muscles and has been used to control pain is the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) method. This method selects low level parameters that do not produce a muscle contraction and is often applied while the person is sleeping (Kerr, McDowell, & McDonough, 2004). The electrical stimulation method used to increase muscle strength is called the neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) method. This method utilizes specific parameters of electrical stimulation that produce a contraction in the target muscle. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a third type of electrical stimulation and is used during purposeful movement, most commonly while the subject is ambulating. The electrodes are applied to improve the function of muscles which otherwise would contribute to abnormal gait patterns. All three of these electrical stimulation methods have been researched and are represented in the literature to varying degrees. This scholarly paper will investigate the findings of such research.