Living with chronic muscle and joint issues can significantly diminish your quality of life. You deal with constant pain ranging from dull aches to sudden shooting and burning sensations that make concentration difficult. Inflammation and tenderness flare up unexpectedly, with the slightest movements and limited range of motion making even small physical tasks exhausting chores.
At Specific Care Chiropractic, we use electrical muscle stimulation (E-STIM) rehabilitation therapy in Fort Myers to stop pain and inflammation as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. If you’re living with limitations after an accident or sports injury, reach out to us to learn more about the treatments we provide in Fort Myers. Call (239) 369-9109 or fill out our contact form to learn more.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation (E-STIM): What It Is and How It Works
Electrical muscle stimulation (E-STIM) is a rehabilitation treatment that uses electrical impulses to stimulate and contract muscles in order to restore muscle function and strength. Here is an overview of how E-STIM works:
- A small battery-powered device delivers targeted electrical impulses.
- Electrodes or pads are placed on the skin connected to the muscle stimulation unit.
- Mild electrical currents are transmitted into tissues at specific frequencies and intensities.
- The electrical signals induce repeated muscle contractions and relaxation cycles.
- Muscle fibers are essentially exercised and re-educated through this neuromuscular mechanism.
- Blood flow and metabolic activity levels increase locally speeding nutrient delivery and waste removal aiding repair.
- The stimulation provides resistance that prompts both physiological and neurological muscular adaptations over successive treatments.
E-STIM therapy uses externally applied electrical muscle stimulation to facilitate and hasten the strengthening, retraining, and overall rehabilitation of limbs and muscles impacted by injuries, atrophy from disuse, or surgical interventions. The ultimate goal of this treatment is to regain voluntary power and control.
Who Can Be Helped by E-STIM?
If your muscles are weak or injured, you can be helped by electrical muscle stimulation therapy. Because this treatment is non-invasive, anyone can use it. Here are some of the conditions E-STIM can be used to treat:
- Arthritis
- Spine injuries
- Back pain
- Car accident injuries
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Neck injuries
- Muscle strains
- Sprains
E-STIM doesn’t damage your nerves, so it’s a safe way to reduce inflammation and chronic pain. You can use it on any part of the body, with many patients choosing to use it on their neck, shoulders, back, and legs.
What to Expect During E-STIM Therapy in Fort Myers
During electrical muscle stimulation therapy in Fort Myers, a technician puts pads called electrodes that are connected to the E-STIM machine on the areas where you are experiencing pain. Then, an electrical current will be used on the affected muscles.
What can you expect during this treatment? Expect a slight tingling sensation that will gradually increase in intensity. You may find the sensations feel a little strange at first, but that’s a sign that it’s working.
Some patients find the sensations involved in E-STIM treatments relaxing. To learn more about what you can expect during this type of therapy and how it can benefit your situation, reach out to Specific Care Chiropractic by calling (239) 369-9109 or filling out our online contact form.
How Long Does It Take to See Results From E-STIM?
Most patients start to see beneficial results from electrical muscle stimulation therapy around 9-12 weeks after starting consistent treatments. However, the extent and timing of positive effects show a lot of individual variation based on several key factors:
- Treatment goals – If your main treatment goal is to regain strength post-surgery, it may take several weeks to begin to see changes. If you are seeking pain relief, you may notice changes sooner.
- Condition type – Recent acute injuries may react to E-STIM faster, whereas chronic issues tend to respond more gradually over a period of months.
- Treatment frequency/duration – More regular sessions for longer treatment periods tend to speed up results.
- Stimulation intensity levels – Using adequately strong stimulation without causing excessive discomfort is the key to the best results.
Some patients report experiencing benefits like increased joint range of motion, less pain, and decreased swelling after just a few EMS sessions. Setting realistic expectations while staying consistent and patient with the rehabilitative stimulation process ensures optimal therapeutic response.
Some Other Treatments We May Use in Combination With Fort Myers E-STIM Therapy
With the information we gather from your examination and medical records, we create an individual treatment plan designed to meet your specific needs. In addition to electrical stimulation therapy, we may incorporate the following physiotherapy services into your treatment plan:
Rehabilitation Therapy
We may use electrical muscle stimulation therapy in combination with rehabilitation therapy treatments that use devices like weights and other equipment to improve your muscle strength and regain your flexibility. The goal of rehabilitation therapy is to retrain your muscle memory and relearn motor skills to return you to the lifestyle you enjoyed before your injuries.
Strength Training and Stretching
The combination of strength training and stretching with electrical muscle stimulation therapy can substantially bolster your body’s response to therapy, compared to strength training and stretching alone. Your physiotherapist may use equipment like resistance bands and weights to prime the targeted muscles for E-STIM therapy.
Get Electrical Muscle Stimulation (E-STIM) Therapy in Fort Myers
You don’t have to live with constant muscle pain and restricted mobility any longer. We offer electrical muscle stimulation therapy in Fort Myers. Our EMS services reawaken nerves/tissues to actively reduce aches, stiffness, and inflammation.
We offer E-STIM services that will return you to your active lifestyle after an injury or surgery. We don’t mask symptoms: our Florida chiropractors dig deeper to address the root causes that are causing your limitations and combine therapies to treat them.
Our chiropractors and physiologists will create a customized treatment plan for you that will leave you able to enjoy all that Fort Myers has to offer again, free from pain and mobility limitations. Reach out today to experience the life-changing differences E-STIM therapy in Fort Myers can make in your life firsthand. Call us at (239) 369-9109 or fill out our contact form to get started.
