Electric Stimulation

Question 0

What is the numerical fraction of a milliamp? Microamp?

Answer 0

1/1,000 for milliamp

1/1,000,000 microamp

Question 1

What is electricity?

Answer 1

Electrons flowing between an anode and a cathode

Question 2

Intensity, voltage, and resistance are measured with what units?

Answer 2

Milliamps
Volts
Ohms

Question 3

What is Olms law?

Answer 3

Intensity = voltage/resistance

Question 4

Definition of voltage

Answer 4

Driving force, potential difference between anode and cathode

Question 5

How does voltage affect electric stimulation

Answer 5

Makes stim stronger or weaker

Question 6

As voltage increases what happens to intensity

Answer 6

Intensity increases

Question 7

As resistance increases what happens to intensity?

Answer 7

Intensity decreases

Question 8

What is a constant current stimulator machine?

Answer 8

Machines that automatically increase current when resistance is met

Question 9

Direct current
How often does it flow?
How many directions does it flow?
How long is the pulse width, how many seconds?

Answer 9

Flows continuously
One direction
Long pulse duration > 1 sec.

Question 10

When is direct current used?

Answer 10

During iontophoresis and stim of denervated muscle.

Question 11

Alternating current
How often does it flow?
How many directions does it flow?
How long is the pulse width, how many seconds?

Answer 11

Flows continuously
two directions
shorter pulse width (duration) of milliseconds

Question 12

Pulsatile current
How often does it flow?
How many directions does it flow?
How long is the pulse width, how many seconds?

Answer 12

Non-continuous
1 (monophasic) direction or 2 (biphasic) directions
Very short width, Shortest pulse duration of microseconds

Question 13

Asymmetric biphasic pulsative goes in what direction?

Answer 13

Go more in one direction than the other

Question 14

Pulse intensity (amplitude) measures what?
How does it affect the stim?
How is it measured?

Answer 14

Height of the pulse
dictates weak or strong stim
measured in milliamps

Question 15

Pulse frequency (rate) measures what?
How does it affect the stim?
How is it measured?

Answer 15

Number of pulses/sec.
Tetanic sustained contraction (motor stim)
Measured in hertz

Question 16

Pulse width (duration) measures what?
How does it affect the stim?
How is it measured?

Answer 16

Amount of time from beginning of pulse to end of pulse
The more wider the width the stronger the stim
Measured in microseconds

Question 17

What is modulation “continuous” used for?

Answer 17

Pain or healing

Question 18

Most times we are trying to polarize or depolarize peripheral nerves?
What causes a repolarization? Depolarization?

Answer 18

Depolarize

Question 19

When a muscle twitches what is being stimulated?

Answer 19

The NERVE not the muscle fibers themselves

Question 20

Name two factors which dictate excitability

Answer 20

Diameter of nerve

Degree of mylination

Question 21

What is the correct order of nerve recruitment?

Answer 21

Sensory > motor > pain

Question 22

What are the 3 factors required for depolarization?

Answer 22

Intensity, width, and speed of rise

Question 23

As stim duration increases what happens to the intensity?
What must happen to the width (duration) in order to attain BETTER fiber discrimination?
As widths become more narrow do we need more or less intensity?

Answer 23

Goes down
Widths must become more narrow (decrease)
More

Question 24

During non-neural responses the only positive reactions include…

Answer 24

Fibroblasts and myofibroblasts

Question 25

For edema one would want what kind of intensity?

Answer 25

Low

Question 26

If one electrode has a larger surface area than the other which one will be less powerful (dispersive)?
If trying to stimulate a larger musle is bipolar or unipolar better to use?

Answer 26

The larger pad is less intense

Bipolar

Question 27

What is a good technique to use for stimulating a small intrinsic muscle like the intrinsic thumb muscles?

Answer 27

Put a small pad on the thumb, larger dispersive pad on forearm.

Question 28

What type of polarity and voltage is good to use for wound healing?

Answer 28

Unipolar with a high voltage

Question 29

What kind of stim is good to use for muscle building?

Answer 29

Russian, strong motor stim.

Question 30

What type of phasic current is used for pain or paralysis?

Answer 30

Biphasic

Question 31

What type of current should be used for muscle soreness or to mobilize edema?

Answer 31

Microcurrent, sub sensory

Question 32

What type of waveform should be used for peripheral nerve lesions?

Answer 32

DC Iontophoresis

Question 33

9 contraindications for E-stim

Answer 33

—Motor stimulation over recently torn or sutured muscle, tendon, ligament, muscle, skin,
—-Motor stimulation over an area of a suspected blood clot or an unhealed fracture
—-Over implantable electronic devices (pacemaker, cardioverter defibrillator)
—-Over the carotid sinus
—-Over active cancerous tissue
—-Over open wounds and skin lesions
—-Over the uterine area during pregnancy
—-Directly over the heart in individuals with cardiac disease
—-In the area of the head in individuals with epilepsy

Question 34

What is ramp?

Answer 34

How quickly stim goes to peak intensity

(.5 shorter, 2 longer) for sensory .5 is ok.

Question 35

How could you get a person to have a tetanic reaction?

2 settings

Answer 35

Increase the pulse frequency (rate) to about 50

Make the width a little wider, about 300 for stronger overall stim