Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Muscle Strength, Functional Capacity, and Quality of Life Among Older Patients With Asthma.

CONTEXT

Asthma incidence in the older people also increases as the number of individuals over the age of 65 increases in society. The goals of asthma management include restoring expected levels of physical activity and preserving muscle mass as well as preventing symptoms and improving pulmonary function. A limited number of studies have explored the effects of superimposed neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on the quadriceps muscle for older patients with asthma.

OBJECTIVE

The study intended to investigate the effects of adding superimposed NMES to a conventional physiotherapy and rehabilitation (PTR) program for older patients with asthma.

DESIGN

The research team performed a blinded, randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

The study took place at the Kadikoy Municipality Social Life Center.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were 24 people with mild, persistent, stable asthma diagnosis.

INTERVENTIONS

The research team randomly divided participants into two groups: (1) an intervention group, the NMES + PTR group with 12 participants and a control group, the PTR group with 12 participants. All participants took part in a PTR program, which consisted of a conventional exercise program. Additionally, the NMES + PTR group received NMES applied to quadriceps muscle with a superimposed technique.

OUTCOME MEASURES

At baseline, at four weeks, and postintervention, the research team assessed participants': (1) endurance of the quadriceps using the Sit to Stand Test (SST); (2) the muscle's strength using surface electromyography (sEMG) and a myometer; (3) functional exercise capacity using the Six-Minute Walking Test (6MWT), (4) quality of life (QoL) using the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQOL); (5) dyspnea using the Modified Medical Research Council (MMRC) dyspnea scale; and (6) pulmonary functions using spirometry.

RESULTS

Postintervention, the NMES + PTR group's scores for the sit-to-stand test (P = .001), the right quadricep's sEMG active (P = .00), the right sEMG resistance (P = .00), the right myometer (P = .00), the left quadricep's sEMG active (P = .00), the left sEMG resistance (P = .00), the left myometer (P = .00), the 6MWT (P = .00), and the AQOL (P = .001) were significantly higher and on the MMRC (P = .00) were significantly lower than those of the PTR group.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of superimposed NMES to a recommended PTR program was an effective method of improving the quadricep muscle's endurance and strength, functional exercise capacity, and health-related QoL as well as decreasing dyspnea for older patients with mild persistent asthma.