EMS - Electrical Muscle Stimulators

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E.M.S. stands for Electrical Muscle Stimulation. Electrical muscle stimulators are portable units that are scientifically designed to give your muscles a safe, fast and effective “workout”. EMS is predominately used by doctors and to prevent, or reduce, muscle atrophy. Atrophy is the weakening and loss of muscle tone, which is usually experienced after surgeries or injuries. EMS has proven to be an effective means of preventing muscle atrophy. Doctors also see EMS as a means of increasing blood flow to muscles, increasing range of motion, increasing muscle strength, as well as enhancing muscle endurance. EMS will have pain management attributes in regards to muscle related pain, such as a spastic muscle, sore muscles, or tight muscles. They are lightweight, portable and can be used almost anywhere.

How Does EMS Work?

Normally when you perform an exercise., your brain sends a message through your spinal cord to nerves indicating muscles to contract. EMS uses electrical impulses to stimulate the nerve axons. These impulses reach the nerve axons, signaling the muscles to contract and relax rhythmically as instructed by the EMS unit. EMS actually stimulates muscles that you cannot normally exercise voluntarily. This allows you to train muscles that may normally have little activity.

While using the EMS, the brain sends a nerve impulse to the "motor point" of your muscle. This signal is a message to the muscles to expand and contract. Electrodes are placed over the motor points of the muscle group to be exercised. When the stimulation is applied through the pads, the signal finds its way to these motor points and causes the muscle to expand and contract. This makes it possible to duplicate a conventional exercise, similar to an isometric exercise.

During an exercise, your brain sends a message down the spinal cord through the nerves with all the muscles you're using that causes them to relax and contract. This is called voluntary muscle action. Your brain is controlling the muscle.

Electrical muscle stimulation uses an outside electrical source that stimulates the nerves to send signals to your muscle to expand and contract. This is done by sending electrical current through self adhesive electrodes placed over the muscle. The current passes through your skin to the nerves in that area, causing the muscle to expand and contract.

Studies have shown that EMS stimulates large nerve axons (long outgrowths of a nerve cell body), some of which you cannot stimulate voluntarily. It is possible that EMS might allow for additional muscle hypertrophy (increased development of tissue by enlargement, without multiplication of cells).

 

Click Electric Stimulators to see our selection of EMS & TENS units.

 

How is a TENS unit different than EMS?

EMS is characterized by a low volt stimulation targeted to stimulate motor nerves to cause a muscle contraction. EMS differs from TENS in that it is designed to stimulate muscle motor nerves, while TENS is designed to stimulate sensory nerve endings to help decrease pain. A TENS device is more suited for nerve related pain conditions (acute and chronic conditions).

Is EMS safe?

Used as directed, electrical muscle stimulators are very safe, reliable and, in fact, have been used by the medical community for many decades.
The technology continues to be used extensively in hospital settings, physical therapy clinics, and is used by chiropractors, spas, and health clubs.
The FDA has cleared many electrical muscle stimulators for prescription use in treating medical conditions.
Doctors may use electrical muscle stimulators for patients who require muscle re-education, relaxation of muscle spasms, increased range of motion,
prevention of muscle atrophy, and for treating other medical conditions, which usually result from a stroke, a serious injury, or major surgery.
Again, the effect of using these devices is primarily to help a patient recover from impaired muscle function due to a medical condition,
not to increase muscle size enough to affect appearance."

Will I feel anything using an EMS?

Since your muscles are contracting and relaxing in a similar fashion to regular exercise, the sensation feels very similar to a good workout.
Some have described it as a mild tingling sensation. Remember that since you control the strength of the impulses, you also control the amount
of stimulation and can adjust for your own comfort level.Within 3-to-4 weeks you should begin to see results, although you may feel better after only a few sessions.

 

Click Electric Stimulators to see our selection of EMS & TENS units.

Does a doctor need to administer the treatments?
No assistance from a physician or other technical person is required, although you should speak to your physician before using any therapeudic treatments.
Always observe the warnings indicated to avoid the possibility of physical harm.

 

Click Electric Stimulators to see our selection of EMS & TENS units.