ELECTRICAL THERAPY BREAKTHROUGH

A research team at the National University of Ireland Galway has found that electrical therapy, coupled with exercise, shows promise in treating tendon disease or ruptures. They found that tendon cell function and repair can be controlled through electrical stimulation from a new range of implantable stimulator devices powered by body movement. Lead researcher on the study, Dr Manus Biggs, said: “One of the most exciting parts of our study is that these implantable devices may be tailored to individual patients or disorders and may show promise in accelerating the repair of sport-related tendon injuries, particularly in athletes.” The stimulator device uses a fabric-like mesh – known as a piezoelectric material – that produces electricity when stretched or put under mechanical pressure. It is made using a scaffold of incredibly thin nano-fibres.