The conventional approaches to dealing with paralysis due to nerve injury are attempts to repair the damaged nerve which is still in a theoretical stage of development, technological advances in wheelchairs and other devices, and the external massage or manipulation of the muscle. Over the past decade, much progress has been made in another approach, which uses electrical impulses to stimulate the muscle into functional activity as part of the rehabilitation of the individual. Phillips (biomedical and human factors engineering, Wright State U., Dayton Ohio) reviews the history of the therapy, shows how it is being used, and outlines the criteria for prescribing and evaluating it. For practitioners and researchers in physical therapy and related fields. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
