Physical Therapy & Muscle Stimulation
Electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, is a technique that is sometimes used during physical therapy to help patients relax and make their muscles stronger. However, users should beware that not all EMS devices are approved by the government, and the use of unregulated devices or the improper use of machines could result in damage to the patient.
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Physical Therapy
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Physical therapy is available to people of all ages--from newborns to the elderly--who need special forms of exercise to improve their ability to move and perform functional activities. Usually individuals who need physical therapy are those who have health-related conditions or injuries. Physical therapy involves carefully planned treatments and techniques to promote a patient's ability to reduce pain, move and restore function to muscles.
Muscle Stimulation
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Muscle stimulation is the act of sending electrical currents through the muscles with the aim of toning them and making them stronger. Electrical muscle stimulators are under strict regulations by the United States Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which is enforced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Manufacturers must meet certain requirements before putting devices on the market. This is to prevent unsafe devices from being sold to consumers. However, unapproved EMS devices have still managed to infiltrate the market.
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What Muscle Stimulation Accomplishes
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Stimulators are designed to temporarily strengthen, tone and firm a muscle. Although some EMS devices are marketed to promote weight loss, reduce girth and give you "rock-hard" abdominal muscles, it has never been scientifically proven that EMS products help you accomplish this. Repeated electrical stimulation can strengthen and tone your muscles, but it will not drastically change a person's appearance without additional changes to diet and exercise patterns.
Muscle Stimulation and Physical Therapy
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The FDA has approved some EMS devices to treat certain medical conditions and for physical therapy. Patients who need additional electrical stimulation to train and relax their muscles may be prescribed EMS to increase your range of motion, prevent muscle atrophy and to avoid strokes, serious injury or major surgery. However, the EMS machines that are specifically approved by the FDA are only aimed at helping patients with a medical condition and are not meant to increase muscle size or change your appearance--as advertised for some commercially marketed EMS devices.
Downfalls of Muscle Stimulation
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Some negative effects of EMS as reported by the FDA include shocks, burns, bruising, skin irritation and pain. There have also been reports of EMS machines interfering with implanted devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators. Serious cases have resulted in individuals requiring hospital treatment. The FDA has also expressed concern over some of the cables and leads that are included with EMS devices, which if not in compliance with electrical safety standards could electrocute people who use them.
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References
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- Photo Credit young woman on the therapy massage procedure image by NiDerLander from Fotolia.com
