🧠 New Korean Study Shows EMS Helped Stroke Patients Walk 30% Faster

person Carla Niece
calendar_today Nov 14, 2024
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ORIEMS FIT RESEARCH DIGEST | Stroke Rehab Edition

Welcome to another blog in the ORIEMS FIT Research Digest—where we bring out one new, fascinating study at a time. Our goal is to make science simple, exciting, and easy to use in everyday life—whether you’re 14 or 70 years old.

🧾 At the end of every blog post, you’ll find a direct link to the full research study. If you're the kind of person who likes to do your own fact-checking or collect PDFs, just scroll down and grab the original document.

Q&A: Let’s Break Down This Research Together

Who Did This Research and When?

This research was conducted in 2019 and published in 2021.

Who Are the Authors?

Lead authors: Junghwan Lim and Taehyun Lim, with six additional co-authors.

Where Are They From?

Konkuk University – Department of Mechanical Engineering
Korea University – Department of Physical Therapy
(Both located in Seoul, South Korea)

These are two of South Korea’s most respected research universities.

Who Funded This Research?

National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP)
Konkuk University Researcher Fund

What Is This Research About?

This study tested a smart, personalized way to use EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) to help stroke patients walk better. Instead of using the same EMS for everyone, they created custom EMS programs based on each person’s muscle coordination and walking style.

Who Was Involved in This Study?

2 Stroke patients (ages 60 and 62)
Each had weakness on one side of their body
They could walk without walking aids (like walkers or sticks)

They were treated at Novos Hospital in Seoul, Korea.

What Did They Do?

Step 1: Pre-Test
- Sensors checked how each patient walked and which muscles were weak
- Compared them to healthy people in their 70s
Step 2: 4 Weeks of EMS Walking Rehab
- 3 sessions per week (40 mins per session)
- EMS applied to 8 leg muscles while walking
- Machine adjusted intensity and timing of EMS in real-time
Step 3: Post-Test
- Same walking and muscle tests done again
- Results compared to see what improved

📊 What Did They Find? (Here’s the Real Data)

✅ 1. Walking Speed Improved (By 30% in One Case)

Patient 1:
From 14.8s ➜ 14.1s in 10-meter walk test
✅ 4.73% faster
Patient 2:
From 20.1s ➜ 15.4s
✅ 23.38% faster

✅ 2. Faster Walking Pace (Cadence)

Patient 1:
From 0.81 ➜ 0.87 strides/second
✅ +7.41%
Patient 2:
From 0.80 ➜ 0.86 strides/second
✅ +7.5%

✅ 3. Walking Speed in Meters Per Second

Patient 1:
From 0.67 ➜ 0.71 m/s
✅ +6% speed
Patient 2:
From 0.50 ➜ 0.65 m/s
✅ +30% speed

✅ 4. Balance Got Better (Berg Balance Scale)

Patient 1:
From 51 ➜ 52 / 56
Patient 2:
From 38 ➜ 45 / 56
✅ +18.42% improvement

✅ 5. Muscle Coordination Recovered

Using a technique called “muscle synergy analysis,” researchers checked how close patients’ muscle patterns were to healthy people.

Patient 1:
- Push-Off (PO) coordination improved from 0.84 ➜ 0.96
- Leg Deceleration (LD) improved from 0.84 ➜ 0.92
Patient 2:
- Push-Off (PO) similarity jumped from 0.82 ➜ 0.96
- Leg Deceleration (LD) timing improved from 0.58 ➜ 0.89
  ✅ 53% improvement in that key muscle movement

✅ 6. More Time Standing on One Leg (More Stable Walking)

Patient 1:
- Single-leg support increased from 30% ➜ 32%
Patient 2:
- Increased from 31% ➜ 33%
  ✅ They relied less on both feet at once—a sign of more confidence in walking

✅ 7. Better Knee + Ankle Motion

Ankle control (Patient 2):
- Similarity score improved from 0.76 ➜ 0.80
Knee motion (Patient 1):
- Improved from 0.96 ➜ 0.97
Foot Drop Symptoms:
- Reduced by helping the front ankle muscles (Tibialis Anterior) activate during the swing phase

Why Is This Important?

If you’ve had a stroke or know someone who has, walking again can feel scary.
This study shows how EMS—when used properly—can retrain the brain and muscles to work better again.

Instead of just zapping muscles randomly, this method:

Supports the right muscles at the right time
Fixes both muscle weakness and timing issues
Brings back natural walking movements

🎓 What’s ORIEMS FIT RESEARCH DIGEST?

We’re an award-winning Australian brand committed to sharing the world’s best EMS research in plain English.
Every time we post, we hope to spark your curiosity and help you take control of your health journey.

🗨️ Let’s Talk

Was this research helpful to you?
Have you or someone you know used EMS after a stroke?
Leave a comment below—we’d love to hear your story.

📚 Research Paper Details

Original Title: Patient-specific functional electrical stimulation strategy based on muscle synergy and walking posture analysis for gait rehabilitation of stroke patients
Simplified Title: How Custom EMS Helped Stroke Patients Walk 30% Faster
Published In: Journal of International Medical Research (2021)
Link to Study: https://doi.org/10.1177/03000605211016782

Why is this source trustworthy?
This study was peer-reviewed and published by a respected scientific journal. It was funded by Korea’s national research agencies and led by top professors at two major universities.

⚠️ Disclaimer

This blog post is for informational and recreational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always speak to a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new treatment.
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