Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for pain management in combat‐related transtibial amputees during rehabilitation and prosthetic training
Abstract
Military members with war‐related lower limb amputation experience a range of acute and chronic pain symptoms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pain during 12 weeks of a military amputee rehabilitation program (MARP) pre‐ and post‐prosthesis. The data for this study were drawn from a randomized clinical trial comparing MARP supplemented with neuromuscular electrostimulation (MARP + NMES, n = 23) to MARP alone (n = 21) for service members with unilateral transtibial amputation. The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and phantom limb pain/sensations were assessed at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks. Changes within‐ and between‐groups were analyzed with generalized mixed models. Participants reported mild‐to‐moderate pain at all visits, and improved significantly on the MPQ and frequency of phantom limb pain/sensations (p NMES + MARP group had lower pain intensity than MARP‐only group at weeks 3 and 6. Participants in MARP demonstrated good overall pain control and reported reduced pain and fewer days with phantom limb pain/sensations over 12 weeks. Adding NMES to MARP may be beneficial in early rehabilitation, and NMES could potentially enhance physical therapy participation by decreasing pain.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 19, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1111/jabr.12084
Entities
People
- Earl Jeffrey Metter
- Emily Brede
- Laura A. Talbot
Organizations
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
- United States Department of Defense
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center