
Chiropractors offer a variety of options that specifically target soft tissue, including electric stim therapy. This therapy is used for pain relief and muscle re-education. It is often an important component of injury rehabilitation. For other patients, the therapy is used to relieve chronic pain.
Is electric muscle stimulation a chiropractic treatment?
Despite its popularity, electric muscle stimulation is not one of the better known chiropractic therapies. Electric muscle stimulation, also known as EMS or E-stim, is a process where electric currents are sent through muscles in order to make them contract.
What is EMS in chiropractic?
Electrical Muscle Stimulation. Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), or muscle stim, is a chiropractic therapy typically applied to a patient who has a lot of pain or spasm in the area of injury or complaint. When electrical muscle stimulation is performed, mild electrical current is applied to cause fast contraction to the muscles.
Can chiropractic electric stimulation machine help fibromyalgia?
Whether you’re recovering from an injury or stroke or dealing with the pain of fibromyalgia or another condition, you may benefit from a physical therapy procedure called Chiropractor electrical stimulation machine, or e-stim. E-stim sends mild electrical pulses through the skin to help stimulate injured muscles or manipulate nerves to reduce pain.
What are the side effects of electrical stimulation from a chiropractor?
Chiropractor electrical stimulation side effects may include muscle tearing, tissue burn, or skin irritation. If the electrical stimulation impulse is adjusted to an intensity that is too high, you may feel intense muscle pain. If this happens, tearing of your muscle tissue may occur.

What does electrotherapy do at chiropractor?
Chiropractors use electrodes to aim the electrical pulses at particular areas of the nervous system to block the transmission of pain signals being sent toward the spine and brain. The stimulation also works to boost the body's production of endorphins which are natural pain relievers.
What are the benefits of electro stimulation?
The Benefits of Electrical StimulationStimulating muscular blood flow.Increasing strength.Reducing muscle pain.Improving psychological recovery.
What is the purpose of electro therapy?
Electrotherapy includes a range of treatments using electricity to reduce pain, improve circulation, repair tissues, strengthen muscles, and promote bone growth, leading to improvements in physical functioning.
Does electro muscle therapy work?
Electrical myostimulation may increase muscle mass after an injury, promoting healing. You can see gains of about 1% in muscle mass and a boost of 10% to 15% in muscle function within five to six weeks of undergoing therapy. For the best results, you should do three or more treatment sessions in a week.
Can electro stimulation damage nerves?
Generally, greater intensity, higher frequency, and longer pulse width stimulation lead to more severe damage in nerve cells (McCreery et al., 2004). In addition, although short-term electrical stimulation is not damaging to nervous tissue, chronic electrical stimulation can damage nerve structure.
Why do chiropractors use electrical stimulation?
Electrical stimulation works by providing electrical impulses to nerve endings in an area of injury. The stimulation soothes the nerve endings, provides pain relief, and may also increase blood flow to speed up healing in injured tissues.
Does electrotherapy help pinched nerve?
Muscle Stimulation A pinched nerve can be caused by a muscle that places pressure upon the nerve. When this occurs, electrical muscle stimulation can work to relieve the muscle contraction that caused the pinched nerve.
How long does it take for electrotherapy to work?
Treatment of primary insomnia, depression, and chronic pain may take several weeks, as long as eight weeks for some patients, so it may be that you have not used the device long enough. Additional weeks of treatment or altered protocols allow some initially unresponsive patients to get relief.
Is electroconvulsive therapy painful?
No, the ECT procedure isn't painful. ECT involves general anesthesia, which means you're asleep while the procedure is happening. After the procedure, you may have some side effects, such as headache, nausea or sore muscles, but these are all normal.
When should you not use electrotherapy?
You should avoid electrical stimulation if you have: A change in tissue sensation. Impaired mental status. Presence of an implanted electrical device (the e-stim could interfere with pacemakers or implanted pain stimulators)6.
Can EMS damage organs?
"If used incorrectly, EMS can cause muscle damage. When this occurs, small muscle particles are released into the blood stream and can damage the kidneys," explains Professor Dr. Stefan Knecht, DGKN spokesperson and chief physician at the clinic for neurology at St. Mauritius therapy clinic in Meerbusch, Germany.
What does electro stim feel like?
You may feel a tingly or warm feeling during e-stim. The feelings are strange but should not be painful.
What is E-Stim therapy?
E-stim uses electrical pulses to mimic the action of signals coming from neurons (cells in your nervous system). These mild electrical currents target either muscles or nerves. E-stim therapy for muscle recovery sends signals to targeted muscles to make them contract. (Flexing your biceps is a form of muscle contraction.)
What is e-stim treatment?
One of the following similar e-stim treatments may help you, depending on your condition: Electrical stimulation for tissue repair (ESTR) helps reduce swelling, increase circulation, and speed up wound healing. Interferential current (IFC) stimulates nerves to reduce pain. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) ...
How to use e-stim?
One of the following similar e-stim treatments may help you, depending on your condition: 1 Electrical stimulation for tissue repair (ESTR) helps reduce swelling, increase circulation, and speed up wound healing. 2 Interferential current (IFC) stimulates nerves to reduce pain. 3 Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) stimulates the nerves in muscles to restore function and strength, prevent muscle atrophy, and reduce muscle spasms. 4 Functional electrical stimulation (FES) involves a unit implanted in the body to provide long-term muscle stimulation aimed at preserving function and motor skills. 5 Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) uses an implantable device to relieve pain. 6 Iontophoresis helps deliver ionically charged medication to tissue to help speed up healing.
How does E-stim help muscles?
Those muscles also improve their strength through repeated cycles of contraction and relaxation. E-stim can also “train” muscles to respond to the body’s natural signals to contract.
What is the procedure called for fibromyalgia?
Whether you’re recovering from an injury or stroke or dealing with the pain of fibromyalgia or another condition, you may benefit from a physical therapy procedure called electrical stimulation, or e-stim. E-stim sends mild electrical pulses through the skin to help stimulate injured muscles or manipulate nerves to reduce pain.
How does E-Stim work?
E-stim uses small electrodes placed on the skin. The electrodes are small, sticky pads that should come off with little discomfort at the end of the session. Several electrodes are placed around the area receiving treatment. Wires from the e-stim device are attached to the pads.
How long does an E-Stim last?
Depending on the type of e-stim, you may feel a muscle twitch or contract repeatedly. Each e-stim therapy session may last 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the condition being treated.
What is electrical stimulation therapy?
Electrical stimulation therapy is a noninvasive pain treatment offered throughout ChiroCare of Florida’s eight locations. E-stim offers a variety of benefits but is most notable for alleviating pain, reducing inflammation, and helping relieve tension from soft tissue. If you’ve been experiencing discomfort or suffered a recent injury, it may be time to discover how E-stim can make a difference.
What is E-Stim therapy?
Likewise, E-stim therapy is an effective method of relieving pain caused by: Arthritis and chronic inflammation. Migraines and tension headaches. Tendinitis. Sciatica. Fibromyalgia. Chronic pain from old injuries. Pain resulting from surgeries. Inflammation from over-activity.
What are the effects of electrical stimulation on muscles?
Within the muscle, the rapid contracting and relaxing caused by electrical stimulation has the following effects: Stretching of the tissue – which improves mobility and range of motion. Increased blood flow to the affected tissue area – which aids in repair. Flexing and working weakened muscles – which improves strength.
What is an E-stim?
These electrodes are connected to an electrical stimulation device, which generates brief electric impulses. These impulses can vary in size, depending on the device’s setting, the area being treated, and the patient’s own tolerance – E-stim should always be comfortable and customized to suit the patient’s needs.
What does it mean when a muscle vibrates during E-stim?
This is the muscle repeatedly contracting and relaxing and means that the treatment is doing its job.
How does E-Stim work?
The process of E-stim therapy begins by attaching the electrodes to the body, using a gentle adhesive to hold them in place . The electrodes are placed onto the skin, directly over the muscle they will be targeting. For instance, if pain is experienced in the right shoulder blade, the electrodes will be placed on the skin covering ...
When was E-Stim first used?
E-stim has been used to treat pain and ailments for over 2,000 years, beginning first with the Egyptians and later practiced by the Greeks and Romans. Throughout the period from 1920 to 1940, E-stim became common in the treatment of a variety of acute and chronic diseases. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s that electrical stimulation technology ...
How Electric Stim Therapy Works
Electric stim therapy uses a low electrical current to stimulate the subcutaneous nerves. These are the ones just beneath your skin. This causes your muscles to contract, which naturally builds muscle tone.
What Happens During an Electric Stim Treatment
During an electric stim treatment, electrodes are hooked up to an electric stimulation machine and placed on the skin of the affected area.
How Electric Stim Therapy Can Help
Because electric stim therapy both builds muscle tone and relieves pain, it’s used in a variety of applications, and can help with many ailments including the following three.
How does electrical stimulation slow muscle atrophy?
Electrical muscle stimulation can slow muscle atrophy by stimulating and contracting weakened muscles through low levels of electrical currents originating from the device. This keeps the muscles active, even when the person can’t activate them on their own.
How does electric muscle stimulation help with recovery?
By encouraging blood flow to the injured area, electric muscle stimulation can quicken the healing process. After an injury that prevents the movement of a body part, electric muscle stimulation can contract muscles for you, hastening recovery. This allows the weaker muscles to build basic muscle tone and strength necessary for further physical therapy.
What is electric muscle stimulation?
Electric muscle stimulation is a method of chiropractic care in which electric currents are sent through muscles in order to make them contract.
Why do people use electric muscle?
It encourages the production of endorphins and improves mood, just like massage therapy. The contracted muscles also encourage blood flow which relieves sore and aching muscles. For these reasons, electric muscle therapy can also aid in stress relief. Like a deep tissue massage, by relaxing the muscle and encouraging blood flow electric muscle ...
Why do athletes use electrical stimulation?
Using electrical muscle stimulation after workouts helps reduce swelling which leaves muscles feeling more energized. This minimizes the soreness felt by the athlete that can affect performance. It also helps prevent injuries.
Is electric muscle stimulation the same as massage?
Electric muscle stimulation can be very relaxing and have the same benefits of massage therapy. Massage therapy is known to release tension in the muscles as well as encourage blood flow. By contracting the muscles, electric muscle stimulation can achieve the same effects.
How does electric muscle stimulation help with recovery?
By encouraging blood flow to the injured area, electric muscle stimulation can quicken the healing process. After an injury that prevents the movement of a body part , electric muscle stimulation can contract muscles for you, hastening recovery. This allows the weaker muscles to build basic muscle tone and strength necessary for further physical therapy. It also strengthens the associative link between your brain and muscle movement. This allows for patients to more quickly move to more difficult exercises and allow them to return to their original strength faster.
What is electric muscle stimulation?
Electric muscle stimulation is a method of chiropractic care in which electric currents are sent through muscles in order to make them contract. This has a number of health benefits especially during the injury rehabilitation process.
What is Compex Tens?
The Compex TENS program helps to decrease the intensity of pain and increase motion and function. It features 10 essential programs with 5 levels of progression that can help build strength, endurance, and battle back against sore muscles. The Resistance, Strength and Explosive Strength programs are designed to activate fast twitch, Type II muscle fibers (think power and force). By applying Compex technology to your muscles, you can increase explosive strength.
Why do athletes use electrical stimulation?
Using electrical muscle stimulation after workouts helps reduce swelling which leaves muscles feeling more energized. This minimizes the soreness felt by the athlete that can affect performance. It also helps prevent injuries.
What is the best treatment for neck injury?
Muscle relaxers, botox injections, steroid injections wearing a cervical collar for neck injury, traction, TENS, which is a home muscle stimulation treatment, and short wave diathermy were also on the no-go list.
How long does Tens 7000 take to work?
Treatment can be given on demand or via timed therapy sessions up to 60 minutes. In many cases, this stimulation will deliver immediate pain relief. Pain relief varies by individual and by the type of pain you are in. The TENS 7000 comes complete with: to tackle back pain, neck pain, joint pain, or as a muscle relaxer.
Why do we use E-Stim?
E-stim sends mild electrical pulses through the skin to help stimulate injured muscles or manipulate nerves to reduce pain. E-stim may not be appropriate for everyone, but for many people this painless procedure is accelerating recovery and providing relief from painful or uncomfortable symptoms.
What is electric muscle stimulation?
Electric muscle stimulation, also known as EMS or E-stim, is a process where electric currents are sent through muscles in order to make them contract.
What is EMS in medical?
Electric muscle stimulation or EMS is especially beneficial during the injury rehabilitation process. When the muscles contract during the electric stimulation, the patient experiences pain and tension relief and a reduction in swelling.
What is EMS used for?
Whether applied superficially or via dry needling, EMS can be used to treat a wide range of ailments. We use it on Daniel’s trigger points in the video above but it can also be used to treat neck and back pain. Electrical muscle stimulation can also be used to treat tendinitis, bursitis, muscle spasms, and inflammation.