Rehabilitation of atrophied muscle in the rheumatoid arthritic hand: a comparison of two methods of electrical stimulation.

This study compares the effectiveness of two therapeutic electrotherapies which result in plastic adaptation in the atrophied muscle of rheumatoid arthritic hands. The natural discharge pattern of a fatigue-resistant motor unit (eutrophic electrotherapy) was more effective than a uniform 10 Hz electrotherapy. It was concluded that uniform 10 Hz electrotherapy ignored the information carried in the motor unit action potential spike train, which was the signal inducing rapid and behaviourally effective plastic adaptation.