Harnessing functional electrical stimulation cycling in acute care
“Well, I was going to take [FES cycling] as far as I possibly could. The difference between being in a wheelchair and walking in a walker is like flying to the moon. I mean, it's just so different. A lot of people I don't think realize that….And, of course, going from the walker to a cane, and then from dropping the cane, it's just each step is like going to a completely new planet. So, it is quite remarkable.”
- FES cycling user
Inside the healthcare provider toolkit
FES cycling falls under the broad term activity-based therapy known as therapeutic exercises that encompass repetitive neuromuscular engagement below the spinal injury level.
Go to About
- Indications
- Relative contraindications, absolute contraindications and comorbidities
Go to Patient screening
- Creating a new patient ID
- Login and logout procedures
- Patient details and session information
- Configure settings
- Physical set-up for acute care
Go to Bike setup
- Onboarding new team members
- Electrode ordering and selection
- Vendor information
- Community resources
Go to References
The toolkit has been specifically designed for the implementation of functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling for spinal cord injury rehabilitation using the RT 300 FES leg cycle at the University of Alberta Hospital and the Royal Alexandra Hospital located in Edmonton, Alberta with the expertise of multiple stakeholders. However, this toolkit can also be used to inform FES cycling rehabilitation at other sites, settings and for other conditions.