Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Treatment of Pressure Sores in Subjects with Spinal Cord Injuries: A Case Series Study

Introduction: Unsatisfactory results of conventional medical treatment methods for pressure sores in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) have instigated the use of non-medical treatments, such as electrotherapy. However, the risk of burning in exposure to direct current (Galvanic) and contradictory propositions on the best applicable electrotherapeutic current during the method have prevented widespread application of electrotherapy. The purpose of this study was to show the effects of High-Voltage Pulsed Current (HVPC) on the treatment of pressure sores resistant to routine medical treatment practices. Materials and Methods: The case series study involved the analysis of 8 SCI subjects with grade III and IV pressure sores around the pelvic area. All the subjects received HVPC electrotherapy for 12 daily sessions, during which the electrodes were placed as per the recommendations of routine electrotherapy protocol. The electric currents increased gradually until muscle contraction was observed. The treatment time was kept at 20 minutes per treatment session. Single session was performed each day for 12 consecutive days. The wounds were photographed at day 1 before starting the treatment, on day 6, and finally, on day 12 after the treatment. The area of wound on each of these days was calculated with the help of the AutoCAD Software. Results: The results obtained after 12 consecutive days of electrotherapy indicated that the wound size of the studied SCI subjects reduced by 56.87%. Conclusion: The results confirmed positive effects of HVPC electrical stimulation for healing SCI associated pressure sores in patients resistant to the routine medical approaches of treatment. Moreover, HVPC application was found to accelerate the healing process in these subjects