Functional Electrical Stimulation of Respiratory Muscles in Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in paralysis of muscles below the level of injury to the spinal cord. The most-obvious manifestation of this injury is typically paralysis of the lower extremities (paraplegia) or both upper and lower extremities (tetraplegia), which necessitate the support of mobility and manipulation. In addition to the paralysis of skeletal muscles in the extremities, muscles associated with respiratory function can also be paralyzed. This chapter deals with using functional electrical stimulation (FES) to restore function of upper motor neuron paralyzed respiratory muscles, both inspiratory and expiratory.