title: Chronic effects of simultaneous electromyostimulation and vibration on leg blood flow in spinal cord injury.
abstract: METHODS
  Randomized two-group parallel.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to analyze the adaptations on the popliteal artery (mean blood velocity (MBV), peak blood velocity (PBV), arterial resting diameter (RD) and blood flow (BF)) induced by 12 weeks of simultaneous application of whole-body vibration and electromyostimulation (WBV+ES) in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). Secondarily, the musculoskeletal effects of this therapy on the gastrocnemius muscle thickness (MT) and femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD) were analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Valladolid, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen SCI patients (American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) A or B) were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG=9) or the control group (CG=8). Each subject was assessed in four different occasions: at baseline, after 6 weeks (Post-6) and 12 weeks of the treatment (Post-12) and 8 weeks after the end of the treatment (Post-20). Subjects in the EG performed 30 10-min sessions of WBV+ES during 12 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the EG, RD increased compared with the baseline value at Post-6 (9.5%, P<0.01), Post-12 (19.0%, P<0.001) and Post-20 (16.7%, P<0.001). Similarly, in the EG, BF increased compared with the baseline value and with CG only at Post-12 ((33.9%, P<0.01) and (72.5%, P<0.05), respectively). Similarly, WBV+ES increased the MT of the gastrocnemius. BMD of both hips remained invariable during the study. CG showed no change at any point.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WBV+ES improved popliteal artery BF, RD and MT after 12 weeks in SCI patients. This increase in RD remained above baseline after 8 weeks. The combination of WBV and ES could be considered a promising alternative to reverse the musculoskeletal atrophy and improve peripheral vascular properties in SCI patients.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre on Physical Disability, ASPAYM Castilla y León Foundation, Valladolid, Spain.|Department of Health Sciences, European University Miguel de Cervantes, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Menéndez
authors.affiliation: Research Centre on Physical Disability, ASPAYM Castilla y León Foundation, Valladolid, Spain.|Department of Health Sciences, European University Miguel de Cervantes, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrero
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, European University Miguel de Cervantes, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martín-Hernández
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.affiliation: CyMO Research Institute, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Marín
authors.affiliation: Research Centre on Physical Disability, ASPAYM Castilla y León Foundation, Valladolid, Spain.|Department of Health Sciences, European University Miguel de Cervantes, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Herrero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D015519:Bone Density; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009929:Organ Size; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014732:Vibration / Q000627:therapeutic use*