By the end of this chapter, the reader should be able to:
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Describe the structure and function of a normal motor unit, including the neuromuscular junction and excitation-contraction coupling
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Explain the cascade of structural, biochemical, and electrical changes that occur in skeletal muscle following denervation
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Identify the key differences between innervated and denervated muscle that determine how each responds to electrical stimulation
Sometimes clients try electrical stimulation on a limb following a nerve or spinal cord injury and find that nothing happens. No matter how high the intensity is set, the muscle simply will not contract. They can be frustrated, sometimes having been told that nothing more can be done. When we then use the RISE Stimulator, a specialist device capable of producing the waveforms the denervated muscle actually requires, they are often surprised and relieved to see a contraction for the first time.