Activity-based therapy (ABT): therapeutic activities that involve ‘repetitive neuromuscular activation below the level of the spinal cord injury’. This repetition is usually achieved by task-specific movements with a high intensity. (Musselman 2018) FES cycling can be considered ABT.

Amplitude: refers to the intensity or strength of the current being delivered. The amplitude setting controls the amount of current delivered to the nerves and muscles and can be perceived as gentle tingling to more intense electrical sensations.
American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA)

Impairment Scale (AIS): The AIS is used to classify the level of severity of spinal cord injury. Classifications range from AIS A (complete injury) to AIS E (normal sensory and motor function). (https://scireproject.com/outcome/ais/)

Atrophy: degeneration or wasting of muscle tissue.

Autonomic dysreflexia: a dangerous clinical syndrome that involves an overreaction of the nervous system to a stimulation and can include an increase in blood pressure, and sweating, or decrease in heart rate. Common symptoms are headache, nausea, vomiting, goosebumps, or blurred vision, among others. This can happen if your injury is at or above the T6 level.

Capillary: small hair-like blood vessels which connect small arteries and veins.

Circle of Care: person with direct responsibility for providing care for the patient. For example, health care practitioners.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS): form of a chronic pain that usually starts after an injury and affects an arm or a leg.

Edema: swelling in the soft tissue.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES): application of an electrical stimulus to a paralyzed nerve or muscle with a goal of restoring function. (Martin 2019)

Fracture: break in the bone due to trauma, stress or disease condition.

Frequency (Channel): measured in Hertz (Hz). It is the number of stimulation pulses delivered per second by one channel.

Frequency (Global): measured in Hertz (Hz). It is the number of stimulation pulses delivered per second by all channels.

Glucose: A sugar-like substance that is the main source of energy in the human body which is found in the blood. (American Heritage Medical Dictionary, 2007)

Insulin: The major fuel-regulating hormone of the body formed in the pancreas.

Hematoma: is a collection of pooled and mostly clotted blood in body tissues or space within the body. These are generally caused by damaged blood vessels due to injury or surgery, leading to blood leaking into the surrounding tissues or space.

Heterotopic ossification: the formation of bone in muscle and other soft tissues that can develop after an injury or surgery.

Orthostatic hypotension: rapid decrease in blood pressure that happens when a person changes position (e.g., lying to sitting, sitting to standing) leading to fainting or dizziness.

Osteoporosis: condition in which bone tissue is broken down at a faster rate than bone being replaced. It results in brittle bones that can break more easily than normal bones.

Pacemaker: device used to treat irregular heart rates and rhythms.

Cardiac demand pacemaker: artificial pacemaker that activates only when it receives sensations indicating a lack of spontaneous rhythm by the heart. It attempts to avoid competing with the person’s natural pacemaker.

Paraplegia: impairment, loss of sensation and/or movement in the lower limbs, pelvic organs and trunk (spared upper limbs) due to damage of the neural components of spinal column.

Power: the rate of energy production. It is measured in watts (W).

Pressure ulcer: an injury to the skin and potentially the underlying tissue, depending on severity. They are caused by sustained pressures on the skin and underlying tissue and often seen in individuals who are wheelchair or bed bound.

Pulse oximeter: estimates oxygen levels in the blood. It may not be as precise for people who have darker skin pigmentation.

Pulse width: the length of time that each group of electrical pulses is delivered. It is measured in microseconds (μs) or milliseconds (ms).

Malignancy: cancer or tumour.

Range of motion (ROM): the total number of degrees that a joint moves through when you actively contract your muscles, or they are moved for you (passive).

Spasticity: a condition in which there is an abnormal increase in muscle tone or stiffness after a brain and/or spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (complete): no sensory or motor function is preserved below the lowest sacral segments (S4-5) of the spinal cord.

Spinal cord injury (incomplete): some sensory and/or motor function is preserved below the neurological level of the injury including the lowest sacral segments (S4-5) of the spinal cord.

Tetraplegia: impairment, loss of sensation and/or movement on all the four limbs, pelvic organs, and trunk due to damage of the neural components of spinal column.

Thrombosis: local clotting in the vascular system.

Watt: the force times velocity that the rider is putting on the FES cycle pedals.