Types of FES & Their Benefits

The first TENS device was developed in the 1970s by neurosurgeon Dr. C. Norman Shealy.

TENS is primarily intended for temporary pain relief in sore and aching muscles or for symptomatic relief of chronic pain. It works by altering or interrupting pain signals traveling to the brain.

It is the most pervasive type of electrical stimulation and is relatively inexpensive.

TENS is often used for conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, headaches, and nerve injuries.

IFC was developed in the 1950s by Dr. Hans Nemec.

IFC is intended for symptomatic relief of acute, chronic, and post-traumatic or post-surgical pain. It is particularly effective for pain of musculoskeletal origin.

It is similar to TENS but is generally considered more effective and powerful.

IFC can also help to improve blood flow and circulation, reduce edema, and promote tissue repair.

EMS has a long history, with its origins dating back to ancient times. The first scientific evidence of electrical current activating muscles was provided by Luigi Galvani in 1791.

EMS is intended for strengthening muscles, increasing muscle size, improving muscular endurance, and accelerating muscle recovery.

It is designed to make muscles contract strongly and is often used by athletes.

Research shows EMS can be beneficial for atrophic patients who cannot perform standard exercise.

Modern EMS as a localized external muscle stimulation method was significantly advanced in the 1960s by Soviet scientist Dr. Yakov Kots. He applied EMS to train elite athletes, claiming strength gains of up to 40%, and introduced it during the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Kots used alternating currents applied in high frequency bursts (BMAC) and is commonly referred to as “Russian stimulation”.

Like EMS, Russian stimulation is also intended for strengthening muscles, increasing muscle size, improving muscular endurance, and accelerating muscle recovery.

BMAC uses high-frequency sinusoidal waveforms, unlike EMS, which typically uses lower-frequency rectangular waveforms.

NMES is intended for relaxing muscle spasms, preventing muscle atrophy, increasing blood circulation, maintaining or increasing range of motion, and especially for re-educating the neuromuscular system.

It is essentially the same as EMS but is typically focused on therapeutic use (rehab) instead of athletic use (training).

FES has similar uses to NMES, such as relaxing muscle spasms, preventing muscle atrophy, increasing blood circulation, maintaining or increasing range of motion, and re-educating the neuromuscular system.

FES is especially effective for neurological rehabilitation because the stimulation is automatically controlled to turn muscle contractions into functional movements.

It is often incorporated into exercise or bracing devices to maximize functionality.