Real-time electromyography feedback to change relative muscle activity

Stanford researchers have developed a novel, real-time biofeedback system that may help reduce pain for patients suffering from movement disorders such as osteoarthritis, patellofemoral pain syndrome, or stroke. This system trains patients to change their coordination strategy (activate different, redundant muscles) to achieve a desirable clinical outcome during dynamic movements such as walking. For example, changing which calf muscle an individual with knee osteoarthritis uses during walking can reduce the forces in the knee which has been shown to reduce pain. Surface electromyography (EMG) measures the activation of individual muscles, processes the signal, reduces the complex signals into a small set of understandable, relevant values, and gives the user real-time feedback. The feedback could be visual, haptic (touch), or auditory. The current implementation uses a desktop computer and tools in a motion capture laboratory, but a future implementation will be a simple, wearable device for at-home rehabilitation.

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Figure Description: Real-time EMG feedback setup

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