Part 1 - Foundations

The single most common reason that electrical stimulation fails for denervated muscle is not a lack of technology or willingness. It is a lack of understanding. Clinicians reach for a 'standard' stimulator, apply standard parameters, observe no contraction, and conclude that stimulation does not work. Patients purchase consumer devices marketed with impressive claims and experience no benefit. In both cases, the fundamental problem is the same: a denervated muscle is not simply a weak muscle. It is a structurally, electrically, and biochemically different tissue, and treating it effectively requires understanding why.