"Brutal": Sophie Cunningham reveals agony after experiencing excruciating pain during treatment to activate paralyzed muscles

Sophie Cunningham has kept her fans in the loop about her health since suffering a season-ending right MCL injury on Aug. 17. Through her “Show Me Something” podcast with co-host West Wilson, she has routinely updated her supporters. She previously said that she’s in good spirits, but her rehab has not been easy.

On Saturday, Cunningham went on Instagram to give the latest on her recovery. She showed a video of electric wires attached to her right leg and knee and wrote:

“Brutal.”

Sophie Cunningham says electrotheraphy to rehab from an MCL injury is "brutal." [photo: @sophie_cham/IG]

The Cleveland Clinic described functional electrical stimulation (FES) as:

“A form of treatment that sends electric current to the nerves and muscles. … The electric shock sensation that this treatment produces can cause discomfort and pain.”

The report from the clinic continued that it is a process used "to stimulate and contract weak or paralyzed muscles."

Sophie Cunningham seems to be doing fine with whatever treatment and rehab program she has been going through. She traveled with her Indiana Fever teammates to Atlanta on Thursday for Game 3 against the Dream. Cunningham wore an unmistakable brace that stretched from her right thigh to her calf. She walked with a slight limp but did not seem to be in any discomfort.

Behind the scenes, though, she shared a glimpse of the “brutal” rehab she is going through.

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Sophie Cunningham said WNBA was “mad” Fever eliminated Atlanta Dream in first round of playoffs

Despite season-ending injuries to Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald and Chloe Bibby, the Indiana Fever never quit. They barged into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed and heavy underdogs against the third-seeded Atlanta Dream. Nobody gave the Fever a chance of moving on to the semifinals.

However, the Fever pulled off the biggest upset of the playoffs. They battled back from a one-game deficit to eliminate the Dream 2-1. Cunningham reacted to the stunning win on her podcast on Friday:

“The league is so mad that we won, because we are literally not supposed to be here at all. And that just fuels our fire even more.”

The Fever showed grit, fire and a never-say-die attitude to book a ticket to the semifinals. They will need more of those intangibles to have a chance of winning the series against the stacked Las Vegas Aces.

Sophie Cunningham traveled with the team for the Game 1 showdown in Sin City on Sunday. Win or lose, nobody would be surprised if she shares her thoughts again on her podcast.

Edited by Michael Macasero