How to use a TENS units & EMS machines for shoulder pain relief? Placement of electrode pads (UK)

The shoulders give power and stability to the movements of the lower extremities. Without this joint you would not be able to move your arms, so every time you extend your hand to grasp an object, you are using it. This makes it, along with the hips, elbows and knees, the most used joint in the anatomy.

At the same time, it is also one of the joints that accumulates the most wear and tear over the years, making it highly susceptible to injury. Luckily, electrotherapy makes TENS and EMS available to relieve all kinds of shoulder pain and prevent them, and today we'll show you how to use both to your benefit.

How to use a TENS machine to relieve shoulder pain?

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy has been studied for many years to earn a place as a valid option for shoulder pain relief, as it was initially thought to be a pseudoscience with effects more characteristic of a placebo than a valid form.

Now, it is known to have an enormous amount of benefits such as:

• Increased pain threshold: by increasing the amount of neurotransmitters needed by the brachial and axillary nerves to send information about the noxious impulse, which will then reach the spinal cord to be sent to the brain so you can feel pain from tendonitis, bursitis or humerus fracture.
• Reduces the production of pain neurotransmitters: substances such as serotonin, a chemical necessary to activate the nerve receptors that will inform the brain about the pain, are greatly reduced during and after an effective TENS session.
• It relaxes the affected muscles: as it prevents the reciprocal innervation that causes a muscle to tighten when feeling pain, seriously affecting pain relief. With TENS, a complete relaxation of the supraspinatus, medial round and deltoid muscles that make up the rotator cuff and shoulder is achieved.
• Stimulates cell regeneration: by relieving pain and relaxing the deltoid and rotator cuff muscles, the body can focus on activating the regeneration of the damaged cells without any interference, which helps to achieve a faster recovery from the injury.

In addition, it is worth noting that in this way you will avoid the use of drugs that generate dependence and damage your kidneys. These benefits make TENS a therapy supported by specialists in the world to relieve pain from injuries such as:

• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Pinched nerves
• Muscle overloads
• Shoulder fracture

Best TENS machines for shoulder injury recovery

Here is a list of the best TENS units you can use to relieve pain from almost any shoulder injury you may have:

The UseeShine electrostimulator from NinetinGel is the perfect combination of TENS and EMS electrostimulation technologies, which gives it the ability to offer a complete cycle of massages designed to relieve pain, reduce tension and relax muscles through electrical impulses that promote the release of endorphins and the production of muscle fibers.

It is incredibly easy to use, and features an innovative dual-channel function that allows you to simultaneously treat different parts of the body with different settings, along with a memory function that stores the last massage program used. Its ergonomic and portable design allows you to take it anywhere and use it very discreetly.

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.

The AccuRelief pain treatment system is based on the new technology of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to relieve any type of muscle and nerve ailments, through the application of electrical impulses that stimulate the production of endorphins in the nervous system.

It works by means of a remote control system that allows you to increase or reduce the intensity and frequency of the electrical impulses quickly, so that it adapts to the ailments of the treated area. The box includes the remote control to modify the configuration of the device, and 2 adaptable electrodes to place anywhere on the body, together with 6 AAA batteries necessary to operate.

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 electric neck massager from physiotherapy brand FORTHiQ is one of the most precise electrostimulation units available, with an ergonomic design designed exclusively to fit the neck area and deliver TENS electrical impulses to the most sensitive areas, allowing for fast pain relief.

It has 6 modes of use and 15 intensity levels that allow access to deep neck tissue for complete relief of any type of ailment. It can be switched between TENS and effective heat therapy modes very easily thanks to its remote control, and its high capacity battery allows a battery life of up to 6 hours, with a charge of only 30 minutes.

How to use EMS muscle electro stimulator for shoulder?

The muscle contractions achieved with EMS will help you to have strong and well-defined shoulders in an easier way, since the deltoids are undoubtedly one of the most difficult muscles to train and tone, since many of the movements in exercises such as rowing to the neck, put a lot of joint tension and facilitate the appearance of injuries.

That is why many prefer to use EMS to train the shoulders and trapezius, because in addition to being simpler it has benefits such as:

• Avoid joint stress: exercises such as barbell rowing or standing pull ups put a lot of stress on the joint by subjecting it to too much stress. With EMS training this does not happen because you can exercise the muscle without having to mobilize the rotator cuff or humerus.
• Improves muscle response: since EMS currents used on a regular basis speed up the recruitment of muscle fibers of the deltoids and trapezius, making them offer greater power to perform explosive efforts, which will considerably improve the athlete's performance.
• Prevents injuries: not only by avoiding tension in the shoulders, but also because it improves oxygenation of the muscle fibers, making them healthier and your deltoids much more resistant to overuse injuries or tears, cramps and strains as they will be more elastic as well.
• Avoid the appearance of trigger points: if you reduce the intensity of the current you can get a smooth contraction in your deltoids and trapezius, which will release tension in the myofascial tissue and prevent the appearance of the so-called trigger points that generate pain and can ruin your lifestyle.
• Improves blood flow: since, during the sessions and several minutes after it, the blood vessels will dilate so that much more blood flows through your deltoids, trapezius and rotator cuff muscles, which in turn will improve the absorption of nutrients, oxygenation of the fibers and the assimilation of lactic acid post-training.

Best EMS electrostimulators to strengthen shoulder muscles

Now we present you the best muscle electrostimulation machines that you can use to exercise your deltoid, trapezius and rotator cuff muscles.

The Compex Fit 1.0 electrostimulation device is a massage unit designed to apply electrical impulses on different muscle groups, promoting the regeneration of muscle fibers, toning and strength. It allows you to define muscles of the abdomen, arms, shoulders, back and legs, thanks to its application of EMS technology through its 4 channels.

In addition, it has a TENS massage mode with which you can treat acute and chronic ailments caused by various conditions. It has 10 modes of use: 1 for pain treatment, 1 for physical rehabilitation, and 8 physical training programs. All these features make it the number one choice for increasing physical performance in a completely natural way.

The UseeShine muscle stimulator is one of the best additions to fitness training. This EMS stimulation unit has 24 modes of use that will allow you to sculpt the muscles of your arms, legs, back, abs and more thanks to its high intensity electrical impulses that generate great activity in the muscle fibers.

Additionally, it has a TENS electrotherapy current function with which you will be able to treat most muscle, nerve and joint ailments instantly. Both technologies are combined in a compact device with 24 modes of use that will adapt to your needs.

Med-Fit is a powerful brand of electro-stimulation devices focused on fitness, which uses the latest in EMS technology to stimulate the production of muscle fibers to tone and strengthen different muscle groups. Its simple design and friendly and straightforward interface will allow you to apply and program it very easily, and its 12 preset modes will allow you a wide range of muscle stimulation.

The delivery includes a total of 16 high quality gel pads that guarantee a perfect adherence to the skin, and it works well for the conditioning of large muscle groups. It is FDA certified and meets all required medical specifications, making it a completely safe device.

The electrostimulator model SEM 43 of the Sanitas brand is one of the most versatile and efficient combinations of TENS and EMS technologies, through which you can apply low intensity currents for the relief of ailments of any kind, as well as more powerful electrical impulses to stimulate muscle development and relaxing massages to undo the tension of the muscles.

It has 50 preset programs, 44 modes of which are divided between TENS, EMS and therapeutic electrotherapy, 6 are fully customizable to offer a wide and varied treatment. It has a session timer function that you can program between 5 and 100 minutes, and an automatic shut-off function for optimal energy saving.

The Beurer brand of physiotherapy products offers its users one of the most versatile electrostimulation devices available on the market. This is the Beurer EM70, which contains an incredible 1-in-1 function that allows you to apply therapeutic treatments, muscle stimulation and stimulation giving you access to a completely different level of relief to its users with its more than 6 predefined and 2 customizable modes for a complete treatment.

This powerful electro stimulator 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.

Video: How to place the electrodes pads on the shoulder?

Electrodes for shoulder

• For shoulder bursitis: Bursitis generates localized pain at the top of the shoulder, so the electrodes should enclose that point of pain.
• For tendinitis and rotator cuff tear: For tendinitis or supraspinatus tear, the electrodes should be placed on the front side of the shoulder at its limitation with the chest, since it is in this area where the muscle inserts with the head of the humerus.
• For deltoid contracture: Deltoid contracture should be treated locally with TENS, so the electrodes should be positioned on the deltoids.
• For rotator cuff: The rotator cuff is composed of the subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and teres minor. Luckily these muscles are close to each other, so you can easily strengthen them by placing the EMS electrodes correctly.
• For the deltoids: The deltoids are those big muscles that shape the shoulder. They are the easiest to train with EMS and you only need to place the electrodes as shown in the images.
• For the trapezius: As with the deltoids, training the trapezius is a fairly simple task, as they are muscles that are in a clear area.

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Most common types of shoulder injuries

Shoulder injuries usually have various causes, from overuse of the joint, to blows and sometimes even related to poor diet. Among the most common ailments we can highlight the following:

• Rotator cuff tendinitis: this consists of the inflammation of one of the ligaments of the three muscles that make up the rotator cuff, with the supraspinatus tendon generally being the most prone to inflammation as it is the one that receives the most load in all movements. This injury generates a sharp pain when trying to move the shoulder, and is usually accompanied by inflammation of the shoulder.
• Rotator cuff tear: this injury occurs when the tendon that joins the humerus with the supraspinatus muscle ruptures, limiting the mobility of the joint and causing excruciating pain that is always accompanied by inflammation. It is a serious injury that in 100% of the cases requires surgical intervention.
• Bursitis of the shoulder: it is the inflammation of the synovial fluid bag that cushions the friction between the humerus and the acromion. It is a very common injury in basketball and tennis players, which is usually solved with rest and the application of TENS to relieve pain while the tissue recovers.
• Shoulder fracture: consists of the cracking of one of the bones that make up the joint, the acromion being the most prone to fracture. This injury is the result of a strong blow, either by direct impact, a fall or a traffic accident. Depending on the degree of the fracture, surgery may be required for recovery.
• Shoulder dislocation: occurs when one of the bones in the joint moves out of its natural position, which may also result in other injuries such as torn ligaments and muscles. The humerus is the most prone to dislocation.

Differences between TENS and EMS: Which one to use for shoulder pain?

To relieve pain from shoulder injuries without using drugs we can resort to electrotherapy. First there is the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS, this uses currents that directly influence the brachial nerves that run along the trapezius and down the armpit, also forming the axillary nerve. The aim is to alter the sensory qualities of these nerves in order to increase the user's pain threshold.

Then we have the muscular electrostimulation or EMS, which uses currents that act directly on the deltoids, trapezius and rotator cuff muscles to achieve a contraction of the same. In this way, the aim is to strengthen the muscle fibers and improve their oxygenation, thus reducing the probability of injury as much as possible.

The differences between the two are clear. Firstly, the experience of use is different; while TENS manifests itself as a slight tingling on the skin, EMS is more aggressive, generating a direct muscular contraction. Secondly, there is its area of action, being TENS a therapy that acts at a nervous level while EMS focuses on muscle stimulation.

This makes TENS the most recommended therapy for pain relief, as it will alter the functions of the brachial nerves and the axillary nerve to achieve pain relief in the shoulder joint. EMS, on the other hand, is contraindicated for the treatment of pain since the contractions generated by this current can be counterproductive in an injured muscle, generating even more pain.

Contraindications in the use of electrodes and electrotherapy