History(Research Timeline)

· 1780 – Italian anatomist Luigi Galvani found that an electrical current would cause the muscle in a detached frog’s leg to contract.

· Early 1800s – Attempts were made to use electricity to re-animate hanged criminals.

· 1880s – Devices began appearing that used electrical stimulation of muscle tissue to aid in exercise. These were usually hand held devices that used mild electric shocks to cause muscle contractions (sometimes called electric dumbbells). These were actually produced into the early 1900s.

· Late 1800s to Early 1900s – Researchers investigated the effects of electricity on the heart.

o 1931 – First pacemaker

o Late 1950s to 1960s – Doctors applied principles of electrical stimulation to regulate heart rhythm and re-start the heart.

· 1960s and 1970s – Devices were developed to reduce or block pain signals. These involve internal and external stimulation to the spinal chord and peripheral nerves.

o TENS Devices (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators)

§ Surface Devices (applied directly to the skin)

§ Use an electrical signal to block or interfere with pain signals

§ Also found to stimulate endorphin production

· 1960s and 1970s (Soviet Sports Research) – Soviet exercise physiologists began experimenting with electrical muscle stimulation to increase muscle size and strength.

o Didn’t translate to specific skills

o Didn’t promote development of supporting tissues (tendons, ligaments, etc.)

· 1980s to Today

o Pulsed Galvanic Stimulation - Found to promote the dilation of blood vessels and speed up the healing of wounds (first used on patients with skin ulcers or bedsores).

o Electrical Stimulation of Bone Tissue – May promote bone growth (and is especially useful where fracture healing is difficult).

o Electrodes in the Brain – Help control epileptic seizures and may relieve depression by stimulating the vagus nerve.