Tackling Pain with EMS

Tackling pain with EMS

How electrical muscle stimulation can help reduce your back and knee pain.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome, also known as “runner’s knee” causes pain around or under the kneecap. According to a clinical trial currently being held in the US, one theory is that patellofemoral knee syndrome is caused by weakness in the vastus medialis obliquus muscle – the inner muscle just above the knee. Because of this, physical therapy exercises to strengthen this muscle are commonly used to treat the condition.

EMS for the treatment of knee pain
Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) therapy has been studied as a treatment for patellofemoral pain syndrome. It’s done by placing electrodes over the muscle of the affected leg.

EMS workouts are also ideal for those who are in the process of recovering from knee pain or injury. EMS is a low-impact training method performed under the guidance of a personal trainer, who can individualise your workout session depending on your needs.

Back pain: a national problem
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare one in six Australians had back problems in 2017–18. That’s 16 percent of the population, or four million Aussies. And it’s estimated that up to 90% of people will suffer from lower back pain in some form throughout their lives. These figures show just how prevalent back pain is. Insane, right? Even teenagers are developing these issues, carrying it on with them throughout adulthood.

Back problems can be related to a range of issues, including poor posture, muscle or ligament injury, bulging or ruptured disks, conditions like osteoporosis and arthritis and skeletal irregularities like scoliosis.

Whether your back pain is caused by spending hours every day hunched over a desk, heavy lifting or an ongoing injury, it is important to find a solution that works best for you. So, the question is: how do you reduce your back pain and improve your quality of life?

EMS for the treatment of back pain
EMS and exercise are the best ways to reduce pain in muscles and joints. Many people don’t realise the benefits of exercise and think that it can aggravate back pain, intensifying their discomfort. While it’s true that injuries can happen at the gym, especially if your form is incorrect, avoiding exercising is certainly not the solution.

How EMS can help:

• EMS workouts are conducted under the guidance of a qualified personal trainer, who works closely with you to keep your form in check throughout each session.
• EMS workouts are low-impact, which means there’s no strain on joints or tendons.
• With EMS, you only need 20 minutes, once a week. This allows your body time to regenerate between sessions.
• EMS workouts help strengthen your muscles, helping to reduce back-related pain. EMS has the ability to intensify a muscle’s contraction externally, by applying electrodes onto the skin right above the muscle.
• EMS can also help with pain management. This is due to the “gate control” theory of pain. This theory states that a non-painful stimulus – such as that from an electrical current – can actually close the nerve “gates” that carry a pain message up through the spinal cord to the brain.
• By strengthening the muscles around your spine and core, EMS workouts can help to improve your posture and enhance your ability to move.

As you can see, EMS workouts can be a genuine game-changer for those of us suffering from back pain. And all it takes is 20 minutes, once a week!

At 20PerFit, we use the very latest EMS technology to stimulate 90% of your muscle fibres, helping you to build more muscle, improve strength and reduce pain. Try it for yourself and discover the benefits of 20PerFit.

Find out more by heading to 20perfit.com.au or by calling 1300 202 073.