Reducing Fall Risk With NMES (NMES)

Reducing Fall Risk With the Use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Maximize the Hip Abductor Muscles in Older Veterans

Falls are dangerous leading to injuries, hospital admissions and even death. Fall prevention is a priority but effective programs only reduce falls by 30%. Weak hip muscles may be one reasons individuals experience a loss of balance. However individuals who have weak hip muscles may be unable to exercise at sufficient intensities to improve their hip muscle strength. The purpose of this study is to utilize a common physical therapy method, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), on the hip muscles to improve hip muscle strength and improve balance. The new program focuses on using NMES during a resistance training program along with exercise to improve standing balance, walking and stepping over objects. This study will test the additive effect of NMES applied to the hip muscles during a balance and strengthening program to improve balance and mobility, and ultimately reduce the risk of falls in older Veterans at high risk for falls.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Falls
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES); Other: Multi-Modality Balance Intervention (MMBI)

Detailed Description

Falls are a leading cause of disability in older adults. Decreased lower extremity muscle mass and strength contribute to balance and mobility limitations. More recent work also suggests that in addition to the traditional targets of muscle mass of the thigh and leg muscles, dysfunction of the hip abductors may contribute to balance and mobility limitations resulting in increased fall risk. Older adults with impaired hip abductor muscles demonstrate increased amounts of intramuscular fat (IMAT) in and around the muscles, decreased hip abductor strength, lower balance scores, increased gait variability (a predictor of future falls), and poor stepping mechanics when recovering from a balance perturbation. Increased IMAT and muscle dysfunction of the hip abductors may contribute to poor hip abductor muscle recruitment and make changing these muscle during a traditional intervention difficult. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is one method to improve muscle mass, strength and quality in older adults, but has not traditionally been used on the hip abductors. The investigator's central hypothesis is that the addition of NMES applied to the primary hip abductors during a multimodality balance intervention (MMBI) will result in greater reduction in fall risk and larger improvements in muscle and mobility function than MMBI alone. The investigators will test this hypothesis with the following specific aims:

Aim 1: To determine the 3-month effects of a multimodality balance intervention with and without NMES on fall risk.

Aim 2: To examine the 3-month effects of a multimodality balance intervention with and without NMES on functional outcomes including muscle function and composition.

Aim 3: To evaluate the retention of balance, muscle changes and reduced falls after a multimodality balance intervention with and without NMES

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 81
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Maryland
    • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201
      • Baltimore VA Medical Center VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 51 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 55 years or older
• At risk for falls

Exclusion Criteria:

• Poorly controlled hypertension
• Home oxygen use
• Contraindications to resistance exercise
• Contraindications for NMES use
• Dementia
• Other medical condition precluding patient participation in this study as per medical judgment of study team

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: NMES + MMBI; Neuromuscular electrical stimulation applied to hip abductors along with participation in a multi-modality balance intervention	Other: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES); Participants will receive NMES to the hip abductors while performing strength training 3 times per week for 3-months; Other: Multi-Modality Balance Intervention (MMBI); Participants will attend a group balance class that focuses on movement and obstacle negotiation 3 times per week for 3-months
Active Comparator: MMBI; Participation in a multi-modality balance intervention	Other: Multi-Modality Balance Intervention (MMBI); Participants will attend a group balance class that focuses on movement and obstacle negotiation 3 times per week for 3-months

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Balance	The four-square step test will be used as a measure of balance. The change in the amount of time it takes to complete the four-square step test comparing pre and post-intervention.	3-months
Isometric Hip Abductor Strength	A measure of the maximal isometric muscle strength produced in hip abductor muscles will be assessed with a biodex device. Pre-test levels will be compared to post-intervention levels.	3-months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mobility	The modified physical performance test is a mobility measure that utilizes 9 tasks scored 0-4 (total possible score 36) to determine functional status. Pre-test scores will be compared to post intervention test scores.	3-months
Muscle composition	A measure of the amount of muscle and fat in the muscle using a CT scan of the hips. Pre-test levels will be compared to post intervention levels	3-months
Balance	The change in the amount of time it takes to complete the four-square step test comparing post-intervention to 12-months after the cessation of exercise.	12-months after Exercise completion
Isometric Hip Abductor Strength	A measure of the maximal isometric muscle strength produced in hip abductor muscles will be assessed with a biodex device.. Post-intervention levels will be compared to 12 months after the cessation of exercise.	12-months after Exercise completion

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Odessa R. Addison, PhD DPT, Baltimore VA Medical Center VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Friedman B, Beamer BA, Beans J, Gray V, Alon G, Ryan A, Katzel LI, Sorkin JD, Addison O. Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Maximize Hip Abductor Strength and Reduce Fall Risk in Older Veterans: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2025 May 1;14:e68082. doi: 10.2196/68082.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 4, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 29, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 7, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 19, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): July 20, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 30, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 24, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Fall
• Other Study ID Numbers: E3484-R; RX003484 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Veteran Affairs Rehabilitation R&D Service)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No