NMES causes improvement in strength as well as:

• A. Improvement in functional activities in a specific type of orthopedic problem
• B. Increased muscle size only
• C. Neurological recovery
• D. No functional benefits

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that NMES strengthens the muscle and that strength translates into better performance of real tasks when the muscle is important for a particular orthopedic problem. When we electrically stimulate a muscle that is essential for a functional activity, the improved force and control help the patient perform that activity more effectively—such as standing up, walking, or climbing stairs—depending on which muscle is targeted. So the best answer is that NMES improves functional activities in a specific orthopedic problem because the functional gains come from the stronger, better-controlled muscle during those tasks, not just from an increase in muscle size alone. Hypertrophy isn’t guaranteed and isn’t the sole benefit, NMES isn’t a cure for neurological recovery, and there are indeed functional benefits in the right context, so statements saying there are no functional benefits don’t fit.