To have a better understanding on electrical muscle stimulation or EMS, it is helpful to know the following important information basing on its: definition, applications, and FDA regulation.
Your friend tells you about Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) that has been helping her tone her abs and so does your relative trying to prevent muscle atrophy. So what really is EMS? Here are important facts you need to know about Electrical Muscle Stimulation for better understanding:
Definition
Electrical muscle stimulation, otherwise known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation, is the method by which muscles are made to contract using controlled electrical impulses. Pads are adhered to your skin direct (SF7) to the muscles that need stimulation. These pads act as the terminal where electrical impulses go through. Different degrees of electrical impulses are given to different muscles as fibers are not the same among all muscles, causing them to react differently to different stimuli. Different patterns are also applied to particular muscles to achieve different results. For example, some programs or patterns will improve your endurance, while others will help you resist fatigue.
Applications
It was Luigi Galvani during the late 1700s who showed that current can acutally cause activation of muscles. Many researches and experiments were made from then on in an effort to come up with the electrical properties that can cause the movement of muscles. Studies were also made to understand the different applications and uses of EMS. To date, EMS is used for rehabilitative and therapeutic purposes, as well as for training and aesthetic functions.
- Rehabilitative and therapeutic. EMS is popularly known to prevent muscle atrophy or decrease in muscle mass. It also helps in rehabilitating patients who have undergone serious injuries, stroke, or major surgeries. EMS basically aims to recover impaired muscle functions brought about by the said conditions, without affecting the patient