EMS Theory Comments

[ASheaff]

@gciriani

Good question. In short:[ul]
[li]EMS = Muscle training.
[/li][li]TENS = Pain therapy.
[/li][li]MENS = Microcurrent for medical therapy.
[/li][/ul]The more correct terms are NMES, TENS and MENS.

The main difference between EMS* and TENS is the pulse width: typically between 200-450 microseconds are best in EMS to trigger neuro-muscular activation; typically between 20-200 microseconds are sufficient in TENS. Lower pulse widths are all it is needed to trigger sensation and nociceptive nerve paths, which are closer to the skin, and send signals up to the brain, to mask pain.

MENS (Microcurrent Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulation) is a completely different ball game. Current intensity is in the hundreds of micro amps (i.e. typically 0.1-0.6 mA, rather than 20-60 mA as in EMS), it acts at cellular level; typical uses are in edema, inflammations such as epicondylitis (tennis elbow) etc.

Note*: variations on the abbreviations and long-forms used instead of EMS are: Electro-Muscle Stimulation, Electrical Muscle Stimulation, Electro Myostimulation and combination thereof. Some authors use the acronym ES, but most research articles use NMES for Neuro-Muscular Electrostimulation. Electronic Muscle Stimulation is a misnomer (some companies with low ranked products, i.e. those who sell cheap stimulators, would make you believe that the secret is in the electronics, the guts of the machine, rather than the fact that electricity flowing through your neuromuscular junction).

Do you have any information about the use of microcurrent across the brain?