How to use a TENS units & EMS machines for pelvic floor & urinary incontinence? Placement of electrode pads (UK)

The pelvic floor is a group of tissues of various types that form a kind of hammock on which the pelvic organs rest, and like most muscles, can be strengthened or weakened by various causes, causing difficulty urinating and a feeling of heaviness, among other sensations.

In these cases, it is necessary to take measures to develop and strengthen the pelvic floor tissue in order to avoid these problems. This is where treatments such as TENS and EMS electrotherapy come in. So we will teach you everything you need to know about pelvic floor weakness and how to use electrotherapy to strengthen these tissues.

How to use EMS to strengthen the pelvic muscles?

The application of moderate frequencies during EMS therapy helps to strengthen the pelvic floor, providing a number of health and quality of life benefits for both male and female patients.

Benefits

This musculature provides support to a large number of organs, which require stability to maintain their optimal positions and function properly. It is therefore necessary to maintain the strength of the pelvic floor, in addition to providing benefits such as:

• Prevent urinary incontinence
• Improve sexual performance
• Improves body posture
• Protects the body from high-impact sports
• Promotes natural childbirth

What intensity to use?

Because the pelvic floor muscles are highly innervated by the sympathetic nerve chain, it is a very sensitive area in which the intensity of electrical impulses, in order to generate a muscle contraction that does not produce pain sensation.

For this, it is necessary to have a low intensity EMS device, which generates pulses with a variable intensity between 3 Hz and 40 Hz in pulses of between 200 and 250 microseconds.

Best electrostimulation devices for the pelvic floor

We now present you with a list of the best electrostimulation devices you can use to improve urinary incontinence and strengthen the pelvic floor that you can choose from:

The Beurer brand offers a specialized model of portable electrode designed to relieve menstrual complaints. The EM50 uses an innovative combination of TENS electrostimulation and heat therapy to relieve pain caused by menstrual symptoms in a natural way. Its ergonomic and portable design offers great versatility for use anywhere, and features 15 adjustable intensity levels that you can tailor to your needs.

To deal with menstrual and endometriosis ailments, the EM50 makes use of its TENS stimulation modalities and a soothing heat wave, which can reach a temperature of 43°C (109°F), which will help relieve symptoms such as muscle cramps and other ailments. It is powered by a rechargeable battery that gives it an autonomy of up to 6 sessions.

The physiotherapy brand Beurer offers its users one of the most versatile electrostimulation devices that can be found on the market. It is the Beurer EM59, which contains an incredible 4-in-1 function that allows you to apply therapeutic massage, muscle stimulation, nerve stimulation and heat therapy, providing a completely different level of relief to its users with its more than 70 programs and 50 intensity levels.

This powerful electrostimulation equipment offers immediate relief for almost any type of ailment using stimulation methods that stimulate the production of natural pain relieving agents within the body. It also works as an effective methods to accelerate muscle growth and regeneration, while combining with heat therapy to provide one of the most complete treatments you will find.

Omron has a wide range of electrostimulation devices in stock, including Omron HeatTens, which combines the therapeutic effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with the effective method of heat therapy, resulting in one of the most complete relaxation and pain relief effects available on the market.

Its operation is really simplified, having 6 preset programs that focus on treating different areas of the body, which you can customize by modifying the 3 TENS massage modes, in combination with the 3 heat therapy modes. It is the best choice for joint and muscle ailments and you will get 1 Omrom HeatTens, 2 Omron gel pads, 1 power adapter and an instruction manual.

PainGone offers its PainGone Easy, an incredibly effective wireless TENS device that will allow you to treat pain in the back, arms, legs, shoulders and other parts of the body. Its portability makes it one of the most convenient stimulation devices on the market, so you can have pain relief treatment without any medication.

It has a multi-setting function, offering 3 modes of use with 12 intensity levels to suit your condition, and its adaptable electrodes allow PainGone Easy to reach virtually any area of the body. Additionally, its long-lasting lithium battery will give you enough power for at least 80 sessions before you need to get a replacement, which you can easily access on the brand's website.

The Hollywog WiTouch Pro is a muscle stimulator that helps relieve pain caused by injuries naturally and without the use of drugs with potential side effects. Its TENS electrostimulation technology stimulates the production of endorphins and provides a pleasant feeling of relief for all types of ailments caused by injury or illness.

With a size of 19 cm wide and 9 cm high, the WiTouch has the widest area of action on the market, with a current output strength of 0 - 110 mA for maximum effectiveness. It has a 2-button function that allows you to quickly change the device settings, and includes 3 reusable gel pads in the package you receive.

From EOSVAP comes this wonderful wireless electrostimulation device, effective for back pain, sciatica, arthritis and muscular ailments although its range of function is so wide that it can be used almost anywhere on the body portability and rechargeable battery make it an excellent investment when it comes to pain relief.

It has 7 intensity levels and 5 massage modes for instant pain relief in a natural and completely drug-free way. Its rechargeable lithium battery provides 24 hours of continuous use on a single charge, and can be charged via its USB connectors. Undoubtedly a complete revolution in the massage experience that you can keep in your pocket and take anywhere thanks to its small size.

Omega has available this fantastic and compact electro stimulator, called Omega Wireless Remote for its wireless function. Each of the electrodes is operated by means of a remote control, through which you can adjust and switch between the 6 available massage modes, making it one of the most practical and easy to use models on the market.

Its low intensity electric impulses offer a complete recovery of muscular and nervous pains, and its reusable electrodes have a superior quality adhesive gel, long lasting and easy to apply, so that each session can be carried out in a very simple way.

The Irest Massager brand brings for your use one of the best massage devices on the market. This is its classic mini TENS massage unit, which has 6 modes of use and is focused on relieving pain caused by injuries and diseases. It is particularly useful for joint ailments and neuropathies, although it can be used for almost any type of muscle or nerve pain.

It uses a combination of TENS and POMS technologies to apply low intensity electrical impulses to the affected area, which block pain signals, eliminating the sensation, and increasing the production of endorphins. It has 6 massage modalities and the package includes 1 control, 2 large electrodes, 2 small electrodes, 2 guide wires, 1 electrode and cable case and 1 massage treatment point guide.

The E3 model from OMRON is a TENS electrostimulator of compact size and great power, designed to be portable and used to relieve pain caused by exhaustion, injuries or diseases such as sciatica or neuropathy. This device uses TENS stimulation technology, proven and widely used by physiotherapists for its ability to relieve any type of pain.

It has a wide variety of pre-programmed modes of use designed to treat a wide range of ailments. Its compact size makes it incredibly convenient to carry wherever you want, and its specialized long-lasting electrodes can be washed and reused up to 150 times. The purchased package contains 1 OMRON E3 electrostimulator, 1 electrode cable and 1 long-lasting pad.

Dioche has available to the public one of the best TENS machines on the market, which stands out for its ease of use, versatility and portability. You can use it to relieve pain caused by various causes, from neuropathies and arthritis to injuries and muscle contractures.

One of its best features is the presence of a laser line for the nose that will allow you to treat rhinitis symptoms effectively, improving your health conditions considerably. The dual channel function of this rechargeable mini TENS machine allows you to treat multiple parts of the body simultaneously, bringing benefits such as improved circulation, reduced pain and accelerated metabolism.

Video: How to place electrodes pads to reduce pelvic weakness?

Electrodes for pelvic floor

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What are the causes of pelvic weakness?

Pelvic floor weakness is a problem that mainly affects women, since their physiognomy makes them more vulnerable to suffer from this condition, in addition to the fact that its main causes affect them directly, although in certain cases it can also affect men.

The main causes of pelvic floor dysfunction are the following:

• Pregnancy and childbirth: the tension caused in the pelvic muscles during childbirth often generates weakness once the process is over.
• Obesity: the constant excess of tension caused by overweight can generate weakness in the pelvic floor.
• Radiation treatments: some radiation treatments destroy healthy cells, causing pelvic floor problems ranging from urinary incontinence to fertility problems.
• Surgery: depending on how invasive the procedure is, the recovery period can lead to considerable pelvic muscle weakness.
• Aging: in conjunction with many muscle groups, as you age, the pelvic floor muscles progressively lose strength.
• Overload: overexertion caused by heavy lifting or other physically demanding activities can generate problems in the pelvic floor causing incontinence problems and other symptoms.

What is electrotherapy and how can it help control urinary incontinence?

Electrotherapy is a physiotherapeutic method that can be oriented to multiple purposes depending on the method of application. It is useful both for the strengthening of muscular tissues and for the treatment of ailments caused by different origins.

The treatment of urinary incontinence by means of TENS and EMS electrotherapy techniques works in a similar way, although it is necessary to highlight the distinctions between both treatments and their effects on the bladder and pelvic organs, in order to apply an optimal therapy.

TENS

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is a method of physiotherapy aimed at treating pain caused by various types of trauma or disease, in addition to promoting the release of endorphins and relaxation of superficial tissues.

Its usefulness for the treatment of urinary incontinence lies in its ability to inhibit the electrical impulses of the peripheral nerves that coordinate the contractions of the bladder, sphincter and pelvic floor to achieve the micturition reflex. This reflex can be overridden by direct interruption of impulses in preganglionic efferent neurons.

EMS

EMS, or Electro Muscle Stimulation, serves as a form of training and physical therapy that uses medium to high intensity currents with the goal of creating contractions in muscle tissue that increase its resistance and elasticity, substantially strengthening the affected area.

The benefit of pelvic floor muscle training can be seen in the reduction of urinary incontinence problems, as well as in the alleviation of conditions such as erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. The effect of EMS electrical impulses is focused on the puborectalis, pubococcygeus and iliococcygeus muscles.

Why should you strengthen your pelvic floor?

The pelvic floor is a muscle group that supports a large number of organs, so its resistance and tone is of great importance, since it helps prevent a large number of health problems.

The health of the pelvic floor helps to avoid incontinence problems, bladder and rectal prolapse and sexual dysfunction problems, among others, allowing us to enjoy a better quality of life and avoid situations where incontinence can play against us.

Contraindications for the use of electrodes and electrotherapy