title: The effect of calf neuromuscular electrical stimulation and intermittent pneumatic compression on thigh microcirculation.
abstract: This study compares the effectiveness of a neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) device and an intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) device on enhancing microcirculatory blood flow in the thigh of healthy individuals, when stimulation is carried out peripherally at the calf.
  
  
  
  Blood microcirculation of ten healthy individuals was recorded using laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) technique. A region of interest (ROI) was marked on each participant thigh. The mean flux within the ROI was calculated at four states: rest, NMES device with visible muscle actuation (VMA), NMES device with no visible muscle actuation (NVMA) and IPC device.
  
  
  
  Both NMES and IPC devices increased blood flow in the thigh when stimulation was carried out peripherally at the calf. The NMES device increased mean blood perfusion from baseline by 399.8% at the VMA state and 150.6% at the NVMA state, IPC device increased the mean blood perfusion by 117.3% from baseline.
  
  
  
  The NMES device at VMA state increased microcirculation by more than a factor of 3 in contrast to the IPC device. Even at the NVMA state, the NMES device increased blood flow by 23% more than the IPC device. Given the association between increased microcirculation and reduced oedema, NMES may be a more effective modality than IPC at reducing oedema, therefore further research is needed to explore this.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Research Institute, Bournemouth University, 6th Floor Executive Business Centre, 89 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8EB, UK. Electronic address: sbahadori@bournemouth.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Shayan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bahadori
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Research Institute, Bournemouth University, 6th Floor Executive Business Centre, 89 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8EB, UK. Electronic address: timmins@bournemouth.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Tikki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Immins
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Research Institute, Bournemouth University, 6th Floor Executive Business Centre, 89 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth BH8 8EB, UK. Electronic address: twainwright@bournemouth.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Wainwright
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D004867:Equipment Design; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D048228:Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Devices; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000294:innervation*; D055420:Perfusion Imaging / Q000379:methods; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013848:Thigh
keywords: Intermittent pneumatic compression; Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) technique; Microcirculation; Neuromuscular electrical stimulation