Effects of NMES and Exercise in Hematological Cancer

"Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) is based on the principle of creating a contraction by stimulating the nerve fibers innervating the related muscle in the healthy muscle and the muscle fibers in the denervated muscle with electrical current. The electric currents used in stimulation of muscles and nerves perform this function by changing the electrical potential of cell membranes.~It is contraindicated in pregnancy, presence of pacemaker, severe heart disease, epilepsy, fracture, dementia and impaired consciousness. We prevent contraindicated situations by excluding volunteer participants with these characteristics."

Warm-up exercise, main training program and cool down exercise. Main training consists of resistance exercises to be applied with resistance bands of different resistance or with the patient's own body weight. Our prescribed training protocol includes 4-6 different exercises for each limb (bench press with resistance band, upper extremity proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation exercises, biceps/triceps curl, leg press, knee extension, 4-way hip motion, mini squat). Intensity, sets, and number of repetitions will be adapted to a target score between 12 and 14 using the Borg scale. It will be applied as low intensity, long-term passive stretching exercises to the pectoral, hamstring, and gastrosoleus muscle groups. Patients will perform 1 set of 10 repetitions of each resistance exercise determined by their level of fatigue. Resistance will be increased every three visits. If the patient complains of excessive fatigue, the resistance will be reduced to the previous level.