Warnings; Safety Measures - Compex Fitness Manual De Instrucciones

I. WARNINGS
1. Counter-indications
Important counter-indications
Cardiac stimulator (pacemaker)
Epilepsy
Pregnancy (no positioning in the
abdominal area)
Serious arterial circulatory prob-
lems in the lower limbs
Abdominal or inguinal hernia
Precautions when using the
Compex
After trauma or a recent operation
(less than 6 months)
Muscular atrophy
Persistent pains
Need for muscular rehabilitation
n all of the above cases, you are
I
advised to:
never use the Compex for pro-
longed periods without medical
advice;
consult your doctor if you are in
any doubt whatsoever;
read this manual carefully, in par-
ticular chapter VII, which provides
information concerning the effects
and indications of each stimulation
programme.
Osteosynthesis equipment
The presence of osteosynthesis equipment
(metallic equipment in contact with the
bone: pins, screws, plates, prostheses, etc.)
is not a contra-indication for the use of
Compex programmes. The electrical cur-
rent of the Compex is specially designed to
have no harmful effect with regard to os-
teosynthesis equipment.
84

2. Safety measures

What you should not do with
the Compex
Do not use the Compex in water or
in a humid atmosphere (sauna, hy-
drotherapy, etc.).
Never carry out an initial stimula-
tion session on a person who is
standing. The first five minutes of
stimulation must always be per-
formed on a person who is sitting or
lying down. In rare instances, very
highly strung people may have a
vagal reaction. This is of psychologi-
cal origin and is connected with a
fear of the muscle stimulation as well
as surprise at seeing one of their
muscles contract without having in-
tentionally contracted it themselves.
This vagal reaction produces a feel-
ing of weakness with a fainting ten-
dency, slowing down of the heartrate
and a reduction in arterial blood
pressure. If this does occur, all that is
required is to stop the stimulation
and lie down with the legs raised
for the time it takes for the feeling
of weakness to disappear (5 to
10 minutes).
Never allow movement resulting
from muscular contraction during a
stimulation session. You should al-
ways stimulate isometrically; this
means that the extremities of the limb
in which a muscle is being stimulated
must be firmly fixed, so as to prevent
the movement that results from
contraction.
Do not use the device at less than
1.5 metres from a short-wave device,
a micro-wave device or high fre-
quency (H.F.) surgical equipment to
avoid the risk of causing skin irrita-
tions or burns under the electrodes. If
you are in any doubt about using the
Compex in close proximity to any
other medical device, please consult
its manufacturer or your doctor.
Only use the electrode cables
supplied by Compex.
Do not disconnect the stimulator
electrode cables during the session
without first switching off the
stimulator.
Never connect stimulation cables to
an external electrical power supply
because of risk of electrical shock.
Never use the Compex if it is dam-
aged (case, cables, etc.) or if the bat-
tery compartment is open. There is a
risk of electrical discharge.
Keep the Compex and its acces-
sories out of the reach of children.
Do not allow any foreign items
(soil, water, metal, etc.) to enter into
the Compex and the battery
compartment.
Sudden temperature variations can
create droplets in the device due to
condensation. Use the device only
once it reached ambient temperature.
Do not use the Compex while driv-
ing or operating machinery.
Do not use the stimulator in the
mountains at an altitude higher than
3.000 metres.
Where you should never apply
electrodes...
To the head.
Counter-laterally: Do not use the
two poles of the same channel (one
electrode connected to the
positive/red pole and one electrode
connected to the negative/black
pole) on either side of the body cen-
treline (eg: right arm and left arm).
To or in the vicinity of skin lesions
of any kind (wounds, inflammations,
burns, irritations, eczema, etc.).
Precautions when using
the electrodes
Only use the electrodes supplied
by Compex. Other electrodes may
have electrical properties that are
unsuitable for the Compex
stimulator.
Do not remove or move the elec-
trodes during a stimulation session
without first switching off the
instrument.
Do not plunge the electrodes into
water.
Do not apply a solvent of any
kind to the electrodes.
Before applying the electrodes, it
is recommended to wash and de-
grease the skin, and then dry it.
Apply the whole surface of the
electrodes to the skin.
For very important reasons of hy-
giene, each user must have his own
electrode set. Do not use the same
electrodes on different people.
Do not use a set of electrodes for
more than fifteen sessions, as the
quality of the contact between the
electrode and the skin, which is
important for the comfort and
effectiveness of stimulation, pro-
gressively degrades.
In certain people with very sensi-
tive skin, redness may be observed
under the electrodes after a stimula-
tion session. Generally, this redness
is completely harmless and disap-
pears after 10 to 20 minutes. How-
ever, avoid starting a stimulation
session on the same area until the
redness is no longer evident.
Precautions when using
the batteries
Do not open the battery compart-
ment without first switching off the
stimulator.
Use only alkaline batteries 1.5 V,
size AA, LR6. Never use batteries
with other characteristics. 85