Electrical Stimulation can relieve your chronic pain
What should I expect during an Electrical Stimulation Therapy treatment session?
The ultimate goals at our Abbotsford physiotherapy practice are your comfort, protection, and integrity.
At your initial appointment, in addition to being asked questions about your current condition and medical background, you will undergo a physical examination. From there, an individualized care plan will be developed by one of our certified physiotherapists, based on your personal needs. If our physiotherapist feels you will benefit from electrical stimulation, he or she will explain it in depth, and it will be integrated into your care plan.
You will be asked to sit or lie in a comfortable position during an electrical stimulation procedure. The therapist will clean and prepare your skin in the target treatment area and walk you through the whole treatment step-by-step.
Electrical stimulation is often prescribed for pain.
This modality can trigger an innate and completely natural analgesic effect by stimulating specific sensory nerve fibers (including A-beta, A-delta, and C fibers), which both decrease the sensation of pain and release neurotransmitters that prolong the pain-relieving effects.
It is also safe to use electrical stimulation on all parts of the body, including the anterior neck, eyes, or areas with damaged skin or reduced sensation.
Electrical stimulation is not the best option for everyone, however. Electrical stimulation will likely not be recommended for people with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), those who are pregnant, those with pacemakers, and those with impaired comprehension.
Does Electrical Stimulation hurt?
Not at all! It is easy and simple to adjust the strength of electrical muscle stimulation or sensory nerve stimulation to each patient’s tolerance.
Electrical stimulation includes a range of different ways of stimulating the nerves in various ways. All of these modes consist of distinct currents, and the current you are prescribed will depend on the type and seriousness of your condition.
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), interferential, pre-modulated, Russian and symmetrical or asymmetrical bi-phasic are among the various types of modes.
Some patients report experiencing a slight discomfort, such as a feeling of “tingly,” “prickly,” or “pins and needles.” Electrical stimulation can sometimes become a bit uncomfortable when used for muscle reinforcement, but it should never result in pain.
Electrical Stimulation has a variety of other benefits, including:
Provide biofeedback (aka improve body awareness)
Improve range of motion
Increase local circulation
Decrease swelling
Provide neuromuscular re-education
Prevent or reverse muscle atrophy (especially after prolonged immobilization, such as a limb being cast as a fracture heals)
Improve motor coordination
Reduce muscle spasm
Reduce, eliminate, and/or control pain (both acute and chronic)
Conditions we treat with Electrical Stimulation Therapy
Want to see if electrical stimulation is right for you?
If you are interested in learning more about electrical stimulation, or if you think it could benefit you, contact Blue Oak Physiotherapy today!
Our Abbotsford physiotherapists can get you started on the path toward pain relief and recovery.