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Discover the top benefits of electrical muscle stimulation and why you should try it
Recovery differentiates a top athlete from an average athlete. Understanding different muscle-building and recovery strategies can help athletes and coaches implement these approaches within their training system. Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) is one such strategy. It helps improve recovery from training, combats fatigue, and causes fat loss. Let’s discuss the benefits of EMS in detail.
What Is EMS?
- Electrical muscle stimulation or E-stim is a technique that involves sending electrical impulses through the skin. It uses special devices to target and stimulates specific nerves or muscles. EMS mimics the natural contraction and relaxation of muscles.
It uses electrical signals to stimulate muscle fibers to contract. These contractions result in increased blood flow and nutrient distribution. Doctors and physiotherapists utilize EMS to treat various diseases. In addition, athletes and coaches use EMS for faster recovery and increased muscular strength.
Benefits Of Electrical Muscle Stimulation
The significant benefits of EMS are discussed below.
Increases Blood Flow
- EMS increases blood flow to the muscle tissues when done at lower frequencies. The contraction and relaxation cycles of electrical impulses help muscles act as a pump to increase nutrient-rich blood supply into the muscles.
Increased blood flow helps injured muscles recover quickly after a workout session. In addition, this process clears the unwanted metabolites from the muscles.
Enhances Muscle Strength
- Although EMS is not a viable substitute for muscle strength training, it effectively increases athletes’ muscular strength. In addition, the increased muscle contraction rate benefits athletes during the rehabilitation stages. This is because it stimulates and retrains muscle fibers and increases muscle strength without external loading or weight lifting.
Treats And Manages Diseases
- Physicians use electrical muscle stimulation to heal diseases and injured muscles and to treat pain. Electrical signals improve blood flow and stimulate the muscle fibers. Depending on the injury or condition, doctors may recommend TENS or EMS. TENS, or transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation, is the most common form of EMS.
Electrical signals help the muscles contract by responding to natural signals. As a result, an injured muscle is strengthened or retrained after surgery. In addition, doctors may also recommend this therapy to patients with chronic pain. It increases the blood flow to the affected area and reduces pain. FDA has approved EMS for treating certain medical conditions. However, doctors commonly use it to retrain muscles and prevent muscle loss and spasms.
Used In Physiotherapy Programs
- Physical therapists commonly use electrical muscle stimulation as a treatment tool. A physiotherapist uses this technique to heal weakened and injured muscles. EMS causes repeated muscle contractions which strengthen the weak muscles.
A 2019 research based on a physical therapy program shows that high-frequency stimulation effectively improves muscles’ force-generating ability. This technique can be used after knee ligament surgery to assist muscle fiber activation. In addition, it helps engage the knee muscles to improve extension and recover movement.
Helps Patients With Muscle Pain
Physical therapists use electrical muscle stimulation to help patients deal with conditions that affect their muscles, such as weakness, spasms, and pain. In addition, it is also effectively used for treating conditions that affect muscle strength. These include:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Muscle weakness after surgery
- Muscle control issues
- Strokes
Impacts Psychological Recovery
Research shows EMS technology plays a significant role in improving the psychological recovery of athletes. As a result, the athlete who feels recovered will be able to train harder and reap more significant benefits.
EMS helps you tone and build muscles, lose fat and boost your metabolism in four sessions. To learn more about our services or to book an appointment, call Alladerm today at 949-916-7166. We look forward to helping you achieve your body goals.
