Electrical Muscle Stimulation

Electrical Muscle Stimulation is a form of therapy that uses electrical signals to elicit muscle contractions. There is a wide range of potential applications, including strength training, evaluation of muscular function and rehabilitation.

Its use in rehabilitation focuses on prevention of muscle atrophy which can occur after prolonged disuse of muscles after experiencing an injury. It differs from transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), which instead focuses on the use of electrical signals for pain reduction.

Within the broad category of electrical muscle stimulation, there are several subtypes. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

Russian stimulation employs high frequency sinusoidal waveforms. Doctors may use it to strengthen muscle size, endurance and overall performance.
General Electrical Muscle Stimulation uses lower frequency rectangular waveforms. It has similar objectives to Russian stimulation but doctors may also use it to induce stronger muscle contractions.

In choosing the EMS machine that is right for you, we advise you to pay attention to the frequency and size of the waveforms it produces and whether these are consistent with your objectives.