Staff Writer
Electric muscle stimulation (E-stim) is an additional form of chiropractic care designed to complement the chiropractic adjustment. Electrical currents are digitally and strategically sent through muscles to make them contract. This treatment has several health benefits, especially during the injury rehabilitation process; contracting the muscles can help relieve pain, reduce swelling, and promote general muscle toning.
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits is the ability of electric muscle stimulation to facilitate the recovery process.
Electrical stimulation involves using electrode pads that your chiropractor attaches to the skin above the affected soft tissue. These electrodes are connected to an electrical stimulation device that generates brief electric impulses.
E-stim therapy is always customized to suit the patient’s needs and comfort. Depending on the treated area and settings, the muscle contractions may be barely noticeable or resemble painless, involuntary twitches. The electrical stimulation process simulates what naturally happens in the body.
The central nervous system typically transmits information, such as the message to contract a specific muscle, throughout the body via its own internal electric impulses. Between each contraction, the muscle relaxes. These repetitive contracting and relaxing motions strengthen and repair soft tissue, particularly weakened, shortened, or injured muscles.
When indicated by symptoms and conditions, your chiropractor may recommend E-stim therapy. This method of chiropractic care can be an effective addition to treatment for
Promoting Recovery
Electric muscle stimulation may speed up the healing process by encouraging blood flow to the injured area. After an injury that prevents the proper movement of a body part, electric muscle stimulation can enable the weaker muscles to build the basic muscle tone and strength necessary for further physical therapy.
Preventing Muscle Atrophy
Muscle atrophy is decreased muscle mass after injury or due to medical conditions like Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Electrical muscle stimulation may slow muscle atrophy by stimulating and contracting weakened muscles through low levels of electrical currents. This keeps the affected muscles active, even when someone can’t activate them on their own.
Enabling Relaxation
Electric muscle stimulation may encourage the production of endorphins and improve mood, just like massage therapy. Contracting muscles also promote blood flow, which relieves sore and aching muscles.
For these reasons, electric muscle therapy can also aid in stress relief.
Helping Athletes Avoid Injury
Many athletes use electrical muscle stimulation after vigorous physical activity. This helps reduce swelling and minimize soreness.
Athletes who use electrical muscle stimulation often have less muscle stiffness because e-stim therapy can keep the muscles warm even when they aren’t being activated – very beneficial when there are time gaps between activities.
A Doctor of Chiropractic has the knowledge to assess, pinpoint, and offer noninvasive and drug-free approaches to musculoskeletal pain. The first step in chiropractic care is a comprehensive medical history, followed by a physical examination, including spinal and musculoskeletal joint function assessment.
The combination of your history, examination, and, if needed, diagnostic studies helps determine whether additional chiropractic services like E-stimulation will get you back to your best possible health.
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC) is a private, nonprofit chiropractic and health sciences university in Overland Park, Kansas. Founded in 1922, CUKC has an ongoing mission to educate and develop leaders in chiropractic and other health science professions.
The CUKC on-campus Chiropractic Health Center is open to the public and treats patients from Kansas City’s 15-county metro area. The chiropractic interns and licensed clinicians who supervise your care are leaders in the field. Our goal is to provide chiropractic care and solutions for a better, more productive life for our patients.
