Electric muscle stimulation (EMS) is a technique that uses electrical impulses to contract muscles. It is often used to help people with muscle weakness or pain. EMS can also be used to improve athletic performance.
EMS works by sending electrical impulses through the skin to the muscles. These impulses mimic the signals that the brain sends to the muscles when they contract voluntarily. The electrical impulses cause the muscles to contract, even if the person is not trying to move them.
Improved muscle strength
EMS can help to stimulate muscle contractions and increase muscle strength, which can be useful for individuals with muscle weakness or those recovering from injuries
Reduced pain
EMS has been shown to help reduce pain in individuals with conditions such as back pain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia
Increased blood flow
EMS can help to increase blood flow to the muscles, which can aid in recovery and promote healing
Reduced muscle atrophy
EMS can help to prevent muscle atrophy (wasting) in individuals who are unable to engage in regular physical activity due to injury, illness, or other reasons
Evidence is available from human clinical studies supporting the therapeutic effect of electrical stimulation. As outlined by many studies, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) may be an effective alternative approach to enhance lower limb muscle mass and force in numerous diseases associated with muscle atrophy.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation is an accepted and proven way of treating muscular injuries. This is being widely used in hospitals and sports clinics to treat muscular injuries and re-educate paralyzed muscles to prevent atrophy in affected muscles and improve muscle tone and blood circulation. EMS has also been used successfully for many years in the field of high-performance sports for muscle regeneration and muscle development. Muscles are activated by brain impulses. The EMS stimulates muscles using low-frequency electrical pulses that stimulate the nerves beneath the skin. As a result, the targeted muscles react. Muscles cannot distinguish between impulses from the brain and those from the outside. In both cases, a muscle contraction occurs, and energy is consumed.
Electrical myostimulation (EMS) has become increasingly popular in recent years to increase muscle function and weight. This treatment is especially useful for patients who have lost a substantial amount of muscle mass after being injured and for severely atrophic patients who are unable or unwilling to exercise regularly. Following 5–6 weeks of treatment, EMS increases muscle mass by around 1% and improves muscle function by around 10–15%, according to studies in human subjects and experimental models. Despite a significant increase in circulating creatine kinase during the first session, EMS can be considered a safe treatment.
In recent years, conventional exercise programs have become one important cornerstone in managing patients with cardiovascular disease. It is clearly documented that these exercise training programs benefit exercise capacity and quality of life.
Large muscle groups: thigh musculature, buttock musculature, abdominal musculature, back musculature, chest musculature
Small muscle groups: calf musculature, biceps and triceps, shoulder musculature, forearms, fingers, and toes.
EMS does not require additional weights because of the stimulation current, so that the joints can be spared with this form of training. Therefore, using a muscle stimulation device with a stimulation current can be particularly useful for people with joint pain or diseases such as arthrosis or rheumatism.
The muscles are located around the ligaments and joints. Strong muscles act as a protective layer for your ligaments and joints and can help you be less prone to injury. With EMS training, you also contribute to the prevention and save yourself some treatments for pain relief.
If you combine EMS with classic training exercises, you increase the intensity of the workout and can reduce the training time for the same results. In addition, an EMS device saves you a trip to the gym.
Have you suffered an injury and need to immobilise the affected area for some time? Then an EMS device is the ideal support to maintain the muscles near the injured area thanks to the targeted application.
The combination of classical exercises and external current pulses from an electrostimulation device can increase the intensity of your training and, thus, also your calorie consumption. By burning more calories on training days, you can increase your basal metabolic rate in the long term due to increased muscle mass.
If you suffer from cellulite or want to tighten your skin, it is recommended to train the muscles in the affected areas. Muscle training can tighten your skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite. By using a training device with a stimulation current in combination with conventional exercises, you can intensify this effect. EMS training can also contribute to anti-ageing efforts.
Improved muscle endurance
EMS can help to improve muscle endurance, which can be beneficial for athletes or individuals who want to improve their physical performance
Increased range of motion
EMS can help to improve joint mobility and increase range of motion, which can be beneficial for individuals with conditions such as arthritis or joint stiffness
Convenient and time-efficient
EMS can be a time-efficient way to engage in muscle-strengthening exercises, as it can be done at home and doesn’t require a lot of equipment