Neuromuscular Stimulation, Muscle Stimulator, Tens Unit

What is Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES)?

As a form of both muscle training and electrotherapy, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) employs electrical impulses to induce muscular contractions. Also called EMS (electrical muscle stimulation), NMES devices are generally regulated into two broad categories by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); prescription and over-the-counter (OTC). Prescription NMES devices can only be purchased with a medical prescription and are solely intended for use under the direct supervision of an authorized healthcare practitioner. OTC NMES devices are exclusively intended for the use of muscle toning, and can be purchased without a prescription.

Specific NMES or EMS therapies are often used in athletic and strength training and as post-exercise recovery tools. Cited by numerous sports scientists as a complementary approach for sports training, NMES has shown positive results in various studies and research. This unique therapy is also often utilized for rehabilitation with totally or partially immobilized patients, as a preventative therapy to stop muscle atrophy, and as a diagnostic tool for the evaluation of muscular and/or neural function in vivo. NMES is additionally employed for healthy individuals to help increase muscle strength.

NMES therapies have shown great promise in relaxing chronic or acute muscle spasms, enhancing the circulation of blood, re-educating muscles and regaining muscle memory, increasing or maintaining range of motion (ROM), the prevention of retardation of disuse atrophy, and the prevention of venous thrombosis (through post-surgical stimulation of the calf muscles) following surgery. NMES therapy is also being explored as a medical technique for nerve damage or injury, making it a potential treatment for patients with spinal cord injuries, foot drop, scoliosis, dysphagia, denervated muscles and pain. It may help improve upper extremity function in patients with nerve damage, such as that caused by a stroke, and may reduce spasticity and enhance voluntary motor control in individuals with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury and other upper motor neuron disorders.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation has even been successfully used in the treatment of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Short-term electrical stimulation of selected lower limb muscles that are involved in walking may help improve muscle endurance and strength, enhance whole body exercise tolerance and reduce breathlessness in severely disabled COPD patients who experience incapacitating dyspnoea. NMES therapy can help those with severe COPD to achieve better overall function and ambulation.

What are TENS Therapy and Ultrasound Therapy?

Distinctly different from EMS, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy uses electric current to stimulate nerves rather than muscles like EMS therapy does. Most often used for pain relief, TENS is similar to EMS in that it uses specific medical devices to deliver the electrical current via electrodes attached to the skin. TENS units typically moderate the electrical pulse’s intensity, width and frequency in order to suit the individual and unique needs of each user. While TENS by broad definition refers to the complete range of transcutaneously applied currents for excitation of the nerves, it is more commonly used to describe the TENS units that deliver the pulses. To learn more about TENS therapy, click here.

Ultrasound therapy is characterized by focused ultrasound (FUS) and unfocused ultrasound, with variations in the rate at which the sound waves penetrate the body’s tissues. Different from diagnostic ultrasound, which is a method of looking into the body to see what is happening, such as occurs in pregnancy, ultrasound therapy offers both thermal and non-thermal therapeutic effects. Thermal ultrasound creates a warming effect to enhance tissue repair and healing, while non-thermal ultrasound decreases inflammation and pain through the expansion and contraction of tiny gas bubbles inherent in the affected soft tissues.  To learn more about ultrasound therapy, click here. 

Rehabmart is pleased to provide superior quality neuromuscular electrical stimulation devices and accessories from such renowned and experienced manufacturers as Mettler Electronics, Drive Medical, ProMed Specialties and Fabrication Enterprises.

Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Co-Founder & CEO

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