Russian currents, properties, indications and contraindications.

1. RUSSIAN
CURRENTS

2. ◦ Russian current is 2.5kHz (carrier frequency)
alternating current delivered in rectangular bursts
with a burst frequency of 50Hz and a burst duty
cycle of 50%

4. ◦ The name derives from work conducted by a
Russian scientist, Kots, who reported significant
strength gains in trainee athletes as a result of
electrical stimulation using 2.5kHz sinusoidal AC
with trains of 10ms bursts, applied 10s on and 10s
off

6. ◦ Kot’s findings has a major impact on sports
science and other parts of clinical practice in the
late 1970s and in the 1980s.
◦ As a result, 2.5kHz alternating current with a burst
frequency of 50Hz became known as Russian
current.

7. ◦ The pulse shape originally used was sinusoidal but
at kHz frequencies it makes little difference
whether the shape is sinusoidal, rectangular or
triangular.
◦ At a frequency of 2.5kHz, one sinusoidal
oscillation has a period or duration of 1/2500s or
400micro s so each phase has a duration of 200
micro s

8. ◦ This is similar to the pulse widths produced by
conventional TENS stimulators.
◦ The difference is that with conventional TENS, the
pulses are separated by a very large interpulse
interval while with Russian currents there is no
interpulse interval: positive pulses are immediately
followed by negative pulses.

9. ◦ The short pulse duration allows for efficient, pain free
motor stimulation.
◦ As noted earlier, Technological change has meant that it is
easy to produce electronic stimulators with stimulus
parameters adjustable over a wide range.
◦ A device claimed to be a Russian current stimulator may
offer burst on/off times other than 10s on and 50s off for 10
minutes.

10. ◦ The on-time may be adjustable from 1s to 20s (of
10ms, 50Hz bursts) and the off-time from 1 to 50s.
◦ The treatment time can also be varied.

11. ◦ The main clinical uses of Russian currents are for
obtaining a motor response, specifically for
muscle contraction and strengthening
◦ Russian current is applied in trains of bursts with a
‘10/50/10’ treatment application to avoid muscular
fatigue, which otherwise may diminish the muscle
strengthening effect

12. ◦ Increase in muscle’s force generating capability can be
achieved by two means.
◦ One means is by central nervous system adaptation,
whereby a greater maximum voluntary contraction is
produced by central nervous system ‘learning’ and
adaptation to the pattern of excitation.
◦ In this case, the force gains are achieved by greater and
more effective recruitment of muscle fibres.

13. ◦ The second means is by building the physical bulk of the
muscle to produce a greater force output for the same
neural input.
◦ In this case, the muscle fibres grow in size and muscle
volume increases.
◦ Kots found increases in limb circumference paralleling the
increase in muscle force and concluded that the force gains
were predominantly of peripheral origin.

14. Indications
◦ Post knee ligament surgery
◦ Post arthroscopic surgery
◦ ACL sprain (To increase quadriceps force during
immobilisation)
◦ “PRIME” indication: strengthen the muscular apparatus
of healthy and athletic population

15. Contraindications
◦ Over the anterior cervical area
◦ Over the thoracic area
◦ Over the lumbar or abdominal area during
pregnancy
◦ Over haemorrhagic area
◦ Over metallic and electronic implant
◦ Over neoplastic area
◦ Over area of impaired skin sensation

16. Thank you