From Frog Legs to Your Legs: Electronic Muscle Stimulation

From Frog Legs to Your Legs: Electronic Muscle Stimulation

Electronic muscle stimulation (EMS)

Is a process that involves the use of a particular device to stimulate the contraction of the muscles using electrical impulses. The low-level electronic pulses that are sent to the muscles are meant to halt atrophy or reduce spasms. The process is mainly used in hospitals and physical therapy clinics, but has now found favour among commercial fitness enthusiasts. The history of EMS and how it grew and gained the popularity it now enjoys is quite interesting.

History of Electronic Muscle Stimulation

The journey from a simple discovery through to a well-established theory on electrical impulses and their effects on the body’s process is a very interesting one. It is a story that shows the steady development of the process through scientific discovery as scientist from one century to another made their discovery that contributed to what we now know today.

Electricity was first used as a treatment in 2500B.C which was the time of the Egyptian Fifth Dynasty. The Egyptians found a fish that gave off electric energy and realized it could be used to treat pain. They did not know the force of energy as electricity as we know it now, but they realized its usefulness.

The First Scientific Proof

Italian scientist (Luigi Galvani) made the connection between the muscle and electrical impulses when his assistant accidentally used a scalpel to brush the sciatic nerve of a frog on which they had just done an experiment. The legs of the frog moved as if it was still alive and that caught the attention of Luigi. The year was 1791 and the physiologist provided the first scientific proof that the muscle can be activated by current.

Benefits of Electronic Muscle Stimulation

Electrotherapy is now mainly used in areas that relate to physical and sports activities where muscle injuries are common and rehabilitation is necessary. It is not only used for rehabilitation, but also for training and recovery. People who suffer from debilitating injuries to the skeletal or nervous system and are unable to move their muscles are in danger of muscle atrophy. This is due to the fact that when muscles do not contract they go through a natural deterioration process. People suffering from those types of injuries have to undergo consistent electrotherapy treatment to save the muscles from atrophy. Patients who are critically ill can wear electrical muscle stimulators to help preserve their muscle mass.

Electronic muscle stimulation has Electronic muscle stimulation has moved on from the frog leg to our legs in a very significant way. Many people benefit from the treatment method that started out with the jerk of a dead frog’s leg. The treatment method and electronic muscle stimulator devices are now widely used to assist people in a number of ways. While the treatment is effective and produces great results as is the case with all medical situations, it is best not to go about it on your own impulse.

By: AbdulRahman Mandourah