Recent Auto Accident? Here’s How Electrical Muscle Stimulation Might Help!
After an automobile accident, you might not experience pain right away. Many actually have pain arise a day or two after an accident or even several weeks later, depending on the type and severity of your injury. No matter when you experience pain, physical therapy and chiropractic care along with electrical muscle stimulation can help you feel better and heal. Here at Tampa Spine & Wellness we are offer a variety of EMS to help those who need it.
Did you know that electrical muscle stimulation can also be performed with acupuncture? The benefits of EMS and acupuncture we can delve into on another blog post, so stay tuned!
As part of your treatment, you might undergo electric muscle stimulation (EMS). While it sounds a bit scary, electric muscle stimulation is actually quite beneficial for reducing pain and helping regain strength after injury. So, let’s take a closer look at how EMS can help you heal after your recent automobile accident.
5 Benefits of Electric Muscle Stimulation
Electric muscle stimulation (EMS) involves using electric pulses to block the pain signal and release endorphins. It can also be used to help contract the muscles to regain use and strength.
Ultimately, your doctor will determine what’s best for you depending on your specific type of injury. If they determine that EMS is right for you, your chiropractor or physical therapist will place electrodes on your skin in the affected area, which is attached to an EMS device, and have you sit with it on for about 15 minutes or have you perform exercises with it on. Below, we review all the benefits of EMS whether it is a sports injury or injury due to an auto accident.
1. Reduces Pain
The main reason many of the top chiropractors in Tampa use EMS is to reduce their patients’ pain. EMS does this by replacing the pain signal with, what is often described as, a tingling sensation. It does not matter if the pain is due to a sports injury or because you worked to hard in the garden or if you unfortunately had an automobile accident here in Tampa (and we all know how bad Tampa traffic is....).
2. Prevents Muscle Atrophy
Sometimes when patients are injured as a result of a car accident or from an over use/sports injury you may develop what is known as "neurological symptoms" which feel like numbness or tingling and can appear as muscle atrophy. Muscle atrophy in plain terms is when the muscle begins to shrink and get visibly smaller as well as weaker. It’s likely you have been told to rest the injured or affected area while it heals. Yet, EMS can help ensure you can bounce back after this time of rest. EMS stimulates the muscles, causing them to slightly contract and preventing muscle wasting.
3. Relaxes Muscle Spasms
EMS can help relax muscle spasms by replacing the neural signals these tissues are receiving. This type of treatment can also help improve blood flow, further facilitating healing.
4. Decreases Swelling
Since it may help improve blood flow, EMS can reduce swelling and edema, allowing for a greater range of motion and movement.
5. Helps Regain Function and Strength
With reduced pain and the above benefits, healing is accelerated. At the same time, if your instructed to perform specific exercises with the EMS machine on, you will be able to gain strength and function back sooner than without.
Have you been in a recent car accident in Tampa? Contact the Tampa Spine and Wellness team. With some of the top chiropractors in Tampa, our team is ready to help you get back to your normal. Your treatment may include adjustments, EMS, and other treatment modalities. Book your appointment today!
