Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2007 , Vol 53 , Num 1

EMG Biofeedback Application in Stroke Patients

Kaan Uzunca 1
1 Trakya Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Edirne

Biofeedback (BF) is the therapeutic technique of using equipment to reveal to human beings some of their physiological events in the form of visual or auditory signals in order to teach them to manipulate. Electromyographic-biofeedback (EMG-BF) is most frequently employed form of BF. This method was defined as the use of instrumentation applied to the patient’s muscles with external electrodes to capture motor unit electrical potentials. The patient is instructed to activate or decrease the activity of the muscles. EMG-BF has been used in the rehabilitation of hemiplegia since the 1960s. Main goals of EMG-BF application in stroke patients are re-education of paretic muscles and relaxation of spastic muscles. Significant improvement in ankle range of motion and dorsiflexion strength was shown in patients with stroke. Also, EMG-BF has positive effect on gait recovery especially in swing phase. Although EMG-BF improves the wrist extension range of motion and muscle activity in poststroke patients, functional effect has been still controversial. EMG-BF is an effective and easy applicable rehabilitation tool for both upper and lower extremity rehabilitation in poststroke patients. 

Keywords : Stroke, EMG biofeedback