Risks Associated with Muscle Stimulator For Pain Relief and What you Can Do About Them

Upon sustaining an injury or muscle pain, your physical therapist might recommend using electrical stimulation for your muscle rehabilitation. Before starting your treatment plan, you must learn everything about electric muscle stimulation. That said, here are risks that might result from the use of muscle stimulator for pain relief and how to deal with them.

Muscle Tear

If the impulse of your electrical stimulation is set at a high intensity, you might feel intense pain. This pain might result in tearing of some muscle tissues causing more damage to your muscles. If this happens, the electrical stimulation procedure should be stopped immediately and replaced with a treatment therapy for acute muscle injury. You can use elevation, maximum rest periods, and ice compresses to relieve any discomfort.

Skin Irritation

A certain degree of electrical stimulation and the electrodes adhesive may result in skin irritation under the electrode for people with sensitive skin. For instance, the iontophoresis procedure uses a direct current for application, which results in skin irritation in some people. If irritation occurs, treatment should be stopped immediately to prevent further damage to the muscle, and lotions and ointments should be applied to relieve the irritation.

Tissue Burn

Tissue burns may occur if the electrical stimulation is applied at a high intensity. Although rare, tissue burn may be a risk associated with muscle stimulator for pain relief. If it occurs, stop therapy and start a corrective skincare routine. Ensuring proper use of various electrical stimulation methods goes a long way in ensuring safety for you.

Note that there are some conditions under which you should never use electrical stimulation. While this may have been highlighted to your physical therapist before, ensure to remind them before using a muscle stimulator for pain relief on you. These conditions include but are not limited to; impaired mental status, altered tissue sensation, implanted electrical devices in your body, malignant tissue, and moist wounds.

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