What is TES?
Therapeutic Electrical Stimulation (TES) is a fairly new treatment for children with CP. You may have heard of athletes using neurostimulation to build muscles by using an electrical impulse which causes a muscle contractions to build muscle bulk. This could not be used in children because of discomfort and the risk of damage to growing muscle, tendon and bone. TES is based on this idea, except it uses a low-level impulse that is not enough to cause a contraction, but is enough to increase blood flow and promote muscle growth. The treatment is done by attaching electrodes from the TES unit onto the skin over certain muscles while the child sleeps. A physical therapist specially trained to use TES, sets up a criteria for each individual child. It usually takes 3 to 6 months to see results. TES is not a substitute for therapy. But, by promoting muscle growth and strength you can obtain faster and better progress with traditional therapy.
