Electrostimulation: all that you would always like to have known After utilisation in the professional field for physiotherapy, aesthetics and competitive sports, muscular electric stimulation has been very successful and has had an unbelievable spread over the last few years. The market offers very high quality apparatus at accessible prices encouraging a wide diffusion.
Does it really work?
Those who are sceptical about the effectiveness of this method have no reason to be. The electric stimulus, although artificial, produces an unintentional but real muscular movement which consists of even very strong contractions according to the intensity chosen. Technical evolution makes it possible for stimuli, as long as they are applied correctly, not to cause either pain or burning but only a strange sensation one gets used to after few applications. One can obtain physiologic adaptations similar to those produced by voluntary training and sometimes even better. The difference from natural activities is in the general effects. The artificial stimulus has effects on a peripheral level (muscles) and prevents from achieving all the advantages of natural training, such as psycho physical health, improvement of balance, co-ordination and cardiac-circulatory apparatus potentialities etc.
On the contrary, we should say that electric muscular stimulation may be used when doing training is impossible, for instance during convalescence or if articular problems compel you to immobility.
Better with some expert’s help
In some cases advertisements create unreachable expectations. Trusting in miraculous results without any sacrifice, would be complete illusion. Electric muscular stimulation, on its own, would not solve so many problems, but a rational use, in a wider planning can be without any doubt useful, as a complementary application, to improve sports, muscle tone and aesthetic shape performances. Moreover without specific planning we risk improper use. Application schemes suggested in guidebooks are generic and not always correspond to personal needs
A few examples: Abdominal muscles and buttocks are the ones most frequently electrically stimulated for aesthetic needs. What would happen if a subject with kyphosis, or with a reduction in lumbar lordosis, used electric stimulation frequently? Or if a subject with lumbar hyper lordosis stimulated the back muscles? Or if the already retracted femoral biceps which cause mobility disturbances were stimulated? Well, it certainly wouldn’t do any good. Although the producers provide instruction manuals and advice on use, it would be preferable to get counselling from an expert professional to define individual needs in view of posture, constitution etc, to best exploit the potential of this method.
When not to use it
Electric muscular stimulation may be unsuitable for subjects with acute pathologies. It should be avoided in the case of epilexy, osteoporosis or bone tumour, arterial hypertension, pregnancy, cancer, skin pathologies, pacemakers, cardiopathies or arrythmia (never apply to the heart), kidney deficiency and under treatment of beta blocking drugs. Very fat subjects should bear in mind, before buying an electric stimulator, that fatty tissue works as an insulator, therefore limits the effectiveness of the electric stimuli on the muscles.
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