Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a clinical syndrome that has advanced on a large scale concomitant with population aging and other factors. Thus, the search for alternatives that minimize the losses resulting from its structural and functional damage are important to optimize its treatments, with the primary objective of enabling the participation of these individuals in the most diverse daily tasks. Low-frequency (LF) or medium-frequency (MF) neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) can be considered a resource to enable the improvement of vital and functional parameters of the population with HF intolerant to physical exercise, and it is also important to identify within these modalities which is most effective. In addition to these factors, kinesiophobia can be found in this population, and NMES can also be adopted as a strategy for kinesiophobia in these patients, with the objective of enabling the progression of behaviors. Objective: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of LF and MF NMES on the indices of kinesiophobia and functionality in patients with HF. Methods: The research will be divided into two types of study: a double-blind randomized clinical trial (RCT) to evaluate NMES protocols, and a qualitative study with subsequent development and validation of a questionnaire to measure kinesiophobia in individuals with HF. The population included in the RCT will have their assessments (personal, socioeconomic, demographic data, Sit-to-Stand Test, kinesiological ultrasound and surface electromyography of the quadriceps muscles) conducted before their discharge from Hospital Nova Esperança (HNE), and after completion of the protocols at the same institution, in the city of João Pessoa - Paraíba. The application of NMES protocols will be carried out in the home environment (30 min/day, 3 times a week, for a total of 8 consecutive weeks). The population for the qualitative study and for the development of the questionnaire will consist of individuals diagnosed with HF of any etiology, compensated and able to perform kinesiotherapy activities, admitted to the HNE wards, between 24-48 hours before hospital discharge. An in-depth semi-structured interview will be conducted with these individuals, followed by the application of questionnaires developed based on the interviews, and the entire study will be conducted while the patients are hospitalized. Expected results: Regarding the first study, it is expected that patients treated with NMES will show improvements in clinical and functional variables, and these improvements may be more pronounced depending on the frequency applied. On the other hand, the qualitative study may reveal whether patients have fear of movement, even if they are clinically stable. The developed questionnaire will be well understood and have adequate psychometric qualities. Finally, it is expected that this knowledge can serve as a basis for optimizing the care of this patient population.
Individuals of both sexes;
Age ≥ 18 years;
Diagnosis of chronic HF;
Symptoms compatible with Functional Class (FC) III-IV of the New York Heart Association (NYHA);
Individuals with hemodynamic instability, unstable angina, acute myocardial infarction during the period of application of the protocol and diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy during the period of application of the protocol;
Individuals with recent muscle or tendon injuries, muscular dystrophies, myopathies, unstable fractures, infections or deep vein thrombosis (DVT);
Chronic need for oxygen therapy;
Absence in reassessments;