Monitoring Muscle

Testing muscle fatigue in patients undergoing physical therapy isn’t always easy - especially for those who are paralyzed, or otherwise cannot perform typical endurance tests. But if you're a physical therapist looking for a way to monitor these patients' muscular abilities, Dr. Kevin McCully of UGA’s Department of Kinesiology has the tool for you. Through non-invasive, painless electrical impulses, his device can determine how susceptible a muscle is to fatigue - even if it is paralyzed. Its simplicity makes it both easy to use and surprisingly cheap, and in this week’s episode, Dr. McCulley describes how it’ll lend a hand to physical therapists and their patients in a wide variety of contexts.