Electrical stimulation (e-stim) is a treatment that can serve many different purposes in chiropractic care. It decreases pain and inflammation, improves circulation, and helps muscles contract properly. In addition, electrical stimulation often is used to augment your Lewistown, Montana, chiropractic treatment program after an injury. 

This list of different types of electrical stimulation can help you understand how it is commonly used in our chiropractic office. Be sure to ask our chiropractors about your specific needs and gains that are expected when you use electrical stimulation in our Lewistown chiropractic clinic.

HI-VOLT STIMULATION

High voltage electrical stimulation is a type of electrical stimulation that your Lewistown chiropractor may use to help decrease your pain or improve circulation by removing excess inflammation surrounding an injured area. In addition, high-voltage stimulation helps change the type of cells near your wound, which can speed healing.

TENS

TENS may be used for chronic (long-term) and acute (short-term) pain. First, electrodes are placed on the skin near the source of the pain. Then, signals are sent through nerve fibers to block or reduce the pain signals traveling to the brain.

EMS

EMS uses a slightly stronger current than TENS to get muscles to contract. In addition, the unit’s electrodes (also placed on the skin near the affected muscles) cause rhythmic contractions. Therefore, it can improve muscle strength if the user attempts to contract the muscle simultaneously.

RUSSIAN STIMULATION

Russian stimulation is a form of high-frequency electrical wave stimulation that uses electricity to contract muscle tissue. After injury or surgery, you may be experiencing muscle weakness. Muscles are often inhibited after an injury and cannot generate a forceful contraction. Russian stimulation is used to help improve the contraction of your muscles.

INTERFERENTIAL STIMULATION

Inferential current (IFC) electrical stimulation is a type of electrical stimulation used by your Lewistown Montana Chiropractor to help decrease pain and improve circulation to injured tissues. The IFC works much like TENS, but the current can be easily moved and varied to target your most painful area of injury.

WHAT DOES IT TREAT?

E-stim may be appropriate for the following conditions:

• back pain

• neck pain

• upper back pain

• fibromyalgia

• joint pain

• arthritis

• muscle conditioning (mostly for athletes, such as long-distance runners)

• muscle injury from trauma

• nerve inflammation

• poor muscle strength

• spinal cord injury

• surgery recovery

CAN IT HELP YOU?

E-stim treatments have become standard parts of chiropractic care for many conditions. When used as part of injury or surgery recovery, it can jumpstart recovery and get you back to feeling your best quickly. If you’re interested in e-stim as a muscle conditioning or pain relief tool, talk with our Lewistown chiropractors about your options and how we can help you recover as quickly as possible.