NMES & TENS

The Benefits:

NMES is primarily used to stimulate muscle contractions and can help to maintain or improve muscle strength, particularly when a patient is unable to exercise normally. It can be particularly beneficial following surgery, injury or periods of reduced activity, when muscle loss and weakness can occur.

TENS is primarily used for pain management. It works by stimulating sensory nerves and can help to reduce the perception of pain, making it easier for patients to move comfortably and participate in their rehabilitation.

How it Works:

NMES uses controlled electrical impulses to stimulate motor nerves, causing the muscles to contract. This can help to maintain or rebuild muscle strength and mass when normal movement or exercise is limited.

NMES can be particularly useful when pain or weakness may prevent a patient from fully using a limb. It can help to reduce muscle atrophy, support muscle re-education and encourage muscle activation.

TENS uses gentle electrical stimulation through electrodes placed on the skin to activate sensory nerves.

The stimulation can help to reduce the perception of pain through mechanisms known as gate control and descending pain modulation. This stimulation can interfere with pain signals travelling to the brain and may also encourage the body's own pain-relieving mechanisms.

TENS can therefore help to reduce pain and improve comfort, allowing patients to move more freely and participate more effectively in their rehabilitation programme.

Common Conditions Treated:

Acute and chronic pain

Post-operative rehabilitation

Muscle weakness and muscle atrophy

Neurological conditions

Gait re-education following injury or surgery