NEUROMUSCULAR STIMULATION

摘要

Apparatus for rehabilitating a patient who has a paretic body part (146) , the apparatus comprising: a) at least one electromyography (EMG) sensor adapted, to being applied to a voluntary muscle of a healthy body part of the same type as the paretic body part, which at least one sensor produces at least one EMG signal; b) a neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) device (126) adapted for stimulating at least one voluntary muscle of the paretic body part; and c) a controller (124) which controls the NMES device, making the amplitude of stimulation of the paretic body part at least partly dependent on the EMG signal from the healthy body part. In another embodiment, where only a paretic body part is used, the amplitude of stimulation is not sufficient to cause contraction by itself but only together with the patient's own nerve impulses.