Russian Stimulation Therapy
I am currently working through the limited range of literature published in a language that I can cope with relating to Russian Stimulation. In the meantime, there are a few summary issues which are the key foundations to the therapy (as I understand it) and a couple of references from 2002. The paper by Ward and Shkuratova is apparently based on some of the early work by Kots and if it is true to the original (and I have reason to doubt it), then for those of us who are not fluent in Russian, so useful material has been made more accessible.
Esentially, an alternating current with a carrier frequency of 2500Hz (described my many therapists as 'medium' frequency) is 'chopped' into short bursts at 50Hz with a 50% duty cycle. In this way, the motor nerves re able to respond (50Hz is well withing their response band) and the discomfort associated with the therapy is diminished (as with Interferential Therapy) by virtue of the medium frequency carrier. the stimulation is typically applied for 10 seconds followed by a 50 second resp phase, and this cycle is repeated 10 times (giving rise to the 10 / 50 / 10 protocol. So far as I can see at the moment, there is not a lot of published evidence out there. The claims relate to significant increases in muscle 'strength' which must be worth looking at . . . . . .
Dr Kots was one of the primary workers on this modality in the 1970's in Rusia (as one might expect), and since then, a proportion of therapists have taken up the use of this modality - though I think it would be fair to say that it is not one of the most widely employed modalities.
The 2 papers from 2002 (Phyical Therapy) are identified beloew and following that, some information with regards more recent comparison between several forms of electrical stimulation, including 'Russian' Stim
Once I have done some further evaluation, I will post more details
References :
Delitto, A. (2002). ""Russian electrical stimulation": putting this perspective into perspective." Phys Ther 82(10): 1017-8.
Ward, A. R. and N. Shkuratova (2002). "Russian electrical stimulation: the early experiments." Phys Ther 82(10): 1019-30.
More recently a further paper by Ward
Ward, A. R. et al. (2006). "Wrist extensor torque production and discomfort associated with low-frequency and burst-modulated kilohertz-frequency currents." Phys Ther 86(10): 1360-7)
further evaluates the issues and the differential effects when compared with low frequency stimulation.
See Also :
Gultekin, Z., A. K. Isler, et al. (2006). "Effect of electrical stimulation with high voltage pulsed galvanic current and Russian currents on lactic acid accumulation: a preliminary study." Fizyoterapi-Rehabil. 17(2): 89-94.
Linares, M., K. Escalante, et al. (2004). "Bibliographical review of the currents and parameters more effective in the electroestimulation of the cuadriceps." Fisioterapia 26(4): 235-44. (In Spanish)
Holcomb, W. R., S. Golestani, et al. (2000). "A comparison of knee-extension torque production with biphasic versus Russian current." J-Sport-Rehabil. 9(3): 229-39.
Frei, T., R. Stauffer, et al. (1998). "Russian stimulation [German]." Krankengymnastik: Zeitschrift fur Physiotherapeuten 50(2): 272-88.
Stone, J. A. (1997). "Prevention and rehabilitation. "Russian" electrical stimulation." Athletic Therapy Today 2(3): 27.
Gauthier, J. M., R. Theriault, et al. (1992). "Electrical stimulation-induced changes in skeletal muscle enzymes of men and women.
Effect of variation in the burst and carrier frequency modes of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on pain perception of healthy subjects [published erratum appears in Phys Ther 1993 Feb;73(2):123]
