Electrical muscle stimulation
This is not medical advice.
Electrical muscle stimulation comes in many different forms, and is sometimes used in rehab.
Muscle contraction
I’m going to review my favorite applications first, as I think they are the most useful.
One setting is called Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation, or Russian current. The Russians were at the forefront of this research in the 60’s, by conducting experiments on their state owned athletes.
Rehab
In most cases, I am seeing patients due to some weakness in supporting their frame/skeleton. People are often injured when they are not strong enough for an activity.
Some other electrical modalities are passive, meaning the person just lays their receiving it. NMES current can be active, where the patient is actively firing their muscles with help from the unit.
This is especially useful after surgery, where muscles have been traumatized, and/or shut down after surgery. NMES current helps provide feedback to the brain as to how the muscle should be firing.
A good example is the quadricep muscle, shown above. Some knee surgeries involve a tight tourniquet around the thigh, so that people don’t bleed too much.
This tourniquet trauma, or a piercing trauma from instruments, can cause the quadricep contractions to be very poor. Electrical current helps restore that feedback.
Not a free ride
There are many advertisements for muscle developing devices. Some buff guy with 12 pack abs in just lying on the couch eating potato chips, while the device fires away.
This doesn’t really work. Results are much better if you contract the muscles with the current.
I guarantee you those models didn't get buff from the device. They lift weights in a gym almost everyday.
Biofeedback
https://www.mtrigger.com/
This term has been used to encompass many different realms and gadgets, but the biofeedback I’m referring to in the medical industry is an electromyograph (EMG). There are some new units on the market now.
This unit has great potential for helping people improve the connection between the brain signaling a muscle contraction, and the muscle fibers firing. I have seen good outcomes when used with stroke patients, and others recovering from surgery.
These Biofeedback or EMG units measure muscle contraction strength. These units can be dialed in to find the weakest current. From there, the patient contracts their muscles as hard as possible, trying to raise the colored bars or graph. There are even settings in video games. True biofeedback.
Pain relief
When I first started working in the medical industry, many patients would receive TENS, or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. Part of the TENS unit argument is the pain gait theory. This states that your brain will prioritize perceived pain and threats, and you will not feel all pain in the body, all at the same time. There is some science to support this, and some anecdotal evidence. Some patients will note a less serious injury not hurting during another more painful injury.
I am not saying this does not work, but in my experience, most people did not find a long term solution to their problems with TENS.
TENS was partially a way of charging a full hour of therapy while seeing multiple people at once. Most patients would probably benefit from more exercise time, or hands on treatment.
Buying an NMES machine
There are now hundreds of NMES units for sale on the internet between $50-100. Research brands, reviews, and video tutorials for the best purchase. Biofeedback is more expensive, and specialized. You really need in person guidance, and a sound rationale for its use.