Functional electrical stimulation improves quality of life by reducing intermittent claudication.

Objective: To determine if Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) would improve ischemic pain, walking distance, and quality of life of patients with intermittent claudication.

Design: Single blind, randomized block, two factorial design.

Patients: Patients diagnosed with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) and intermittent claudication (IC). Ankle Brachial Index ranged 0.4-0.9 on at least one leg. Patients were randomly assigned to experimental (FES+Walk, N=13) or control (WALK, N=14) groups.

Intervention: Experimental group patients received FES to the dorsiflexor and plantarflexor muscles while walking for 1h/day, six days/week for eight weeks. Control group patients received similar intervention without FES. A Follow-up period of both groups lasted eight weeks.

Outcome Measures: Outcome measures were taken at baseline (T), after intervention (T), and after follow-up (T). Primary measures included Perceived Pain Intensity (PPI), Six minute walk (6MW), and Peripheral Arterial Disease Quality of Life (PADQOL). Secondary measures included Intermittent Claudication Questionnaire (ICQ) and Timed Up and Go (TUG).

Results: Group by time interactions in PPI were significant (P<0.001) with differences of 27.9 points at T and 36.9 points at T favoring the FES+Walk group. Groups difference in Symptoms and Limitations in Physical Function of the PADQOL reached significance (T=8.9, and T=8.3 improvements; P=0.007). ICQ was significant (T=9.3 and T=13.1 improvements; P=0.003). Improvement in 6MW and TUG tests were similar between groups.

Conclusions And Relevance: Walking with FES markedly reduced ischemic pain and enhanced QOL compared to just walking. FES while walking may offer an effective treatment option for the elderly with PAD and Intermittent Claudication.

Trial Registration: NIH-NIA 1R21AG048001 https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=8748641&icde=30695377&ddparam=&ddvalue=&ddsub=&cr=1&csb=default&cs=ASC. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02384980?term=David+Embrey&rank=1.