How Does Electrotherapy Work - Empi Phoenix Manual De Usuario

5. How Does Electrotherapy Work?

The principle of electrotherapy is to stimulate nerve fibers by means of electrical impulses transmitted by electrodes. The
NMES electrical pulses generated by the Empi Phoenix stimulators are high-quality pulses that have been clinically tested and
offer safety, comfort, and efficiency. These electrical pulses can:
• Stimulate motor points of target muscles, causing a muscle contraction. This can help re-educate and strengthen
your muscles following an injury or surgery. This is called neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES). The Empi
Phoenix programs P1 and P2 are NMES programs.
• Manage pain. The electrical pulses block the pain signal sent from the affected area on your nerve pathways. This
is called the "Gate Theory" of pain control, and this form of electrotherapy is called transcutaneous electrical nerve
stimulations (TENS). The Empi Phoenix program P3 is a TENS program.
• Increase local blood circulation, helping to reduce swelling or edema. The electrical current can affect the movement
of fluid through tissue, and increasing blood flow can help increase healing. This therapy can be achieved using a
pulsed direct current. The Empi Phoenix program P4 is a pulsed, direct-current program.
During voluntary activity, the brain sends a command to the nerve fibers in the form of an electrical signal to give the order
to move. This signal is then transmitted to the muscular fibers, which contract. The principle of electrotherapy emulates
the process observed during a voluntary contraction. In other words, the muscle cannot distinguish whether the command
comes from the brain or from the stimulator. The parameters of the Empi Phoenix programs (number of pulses per second,
contraction time, rest time, total program time) subject the muscles to different types of work.
In fact, different types of muscular fibers may be distinguished according to their respective contraction speed: slow,
intermediate, and fast fibers. Fast fibers would predominate in a sprinter, while a marathon runner would likely have more
slow fibers. With a good knowledge of human physiology and well-designed stimulation programs, muscular work can be
directed very precisely towards the desired goal (muscular re-education, relaxation of muscle spasm, pain management,
increased blood flow, maintaining, or increasing range-of-motion, etc.)
Phoenix User's Manual
Electrical pulse
Excitation
Motor
nerve
Stimulated
muscle
Elementary Mechanical Response - Twitch
Transmission
of the excitation
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