How FES can aid the recovery of COVID-19 patients

The spread of Covid-19 has posed a colossal challenge to health systems worldwide. Although research has revealed much information about the virus, there is still a great deal of ignorance and little scientific literature without methodological flaws. 

As the months go by, new sequelae have come to light in infected patients, ranging from decreased lung capacity to muscle deterioration. It is not even it is not ruled out that those who have recovered may even suffer long-term neuropsychiatric syndromes.. For the time being, there are many issues that remain nebulous.

Today it is increasingly common to see people who have to be rehabilitated after leaving the Critical Care Unit. For example, we have seen problems with such essential functions as speaking or walking.. This makes the return to normal life take longer and demands more energy and resources.

How FES can aid the recovery of COVID-19 patients

But just as there is still a great deal of ignorance, there are also treatments that are beginning to show positive results. For example, Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) is being increasingly used in different Critical Patient Units around the world with the aim of: 

1- Prevent or treat muscle weakness acquired in CPU, after sedation required for intubation (used in extremities).

2- To accelerate the extubation process (the use is in dorsal and abdominal musculature).

3- To accelerate the process of early rehabilitation of swallowing disorders after intubation.

This type of therapy can be used in patients with respiratory problems and/or first motor neuron injury, such as stroke, spinal cord injury, ECT, cerebral palsy, among other conditions.

However, it is always recommended that the junction of the second motor neuron with the peripheral muscle be undamaged.

Although safety studies show that it does not increase creatine phosphokinase (thinking of rhabdomyolysis), and therefore does not affect renal function or generate a decrease in O2-saturation, TrainFES recommends that if this treatment is used in patients with COVID, it should be used after the inflammatory phase. This is because COVID-19, like other coronaviruses and influenza viruses, generates inflammatory myopathies. 

On the other hand, mild to moderate physical activity (with associated muscle contraction) helps to regulate the inflammatory response, decreasing TNFa and modulating IL-6, an effect that passive mobilization does not achieve.

Conclusion

TrainFES equipment can be synchronized via Bluetooth with a tablet and an accelerometer (inertia sensor) that can be easily configured to coordinate the stimulation of different muscles in sequence, in order to achieve functional movements, such as swallowing, standing and later walking. This is how FES can aid in the recovery of patients with COVID-19.