How to use a TENS units & EMS machines for thigh pain relief? Placement of electrode pads

Since caveman times, the thighs have been one of the most important muscles in the anatomy. At that time they were essential for running and being able to reach imposing animals during the hunt, and although today we do not go hunting, we do need them for walking, running and a long etcetera of motor actions.

Although they are not too prone to injury as they are also one of the most resistant muscles, when they do they are a real problem as they limit our day to day life considerably. Luckily electrotherapy puts TENS and EMS therapies within our reach, and today you will learn why they should be your best friends from now on.

How to use a TENS units to relieve thigh pain?

Although the mechanism of action of TENS therapy makes you think that its only benefit is analgesic, the reality is that it goes much further. Among the main benefits of this therapy we can highlight:

• Increased pain threshold: since the currents act on the femoral and obturator nerves to increase the load of pain neurotransmitters necessary for them to send the pain information to the spinal cord to later reach the brain, which will increase the user's tolerance to pain.
• Improves nerve-muscle response: it improves the coordination between nerve signal and muscle action in the thighs, a very useful quality to achieve better sports performance. This is why many people use TENS even if they do not suffer from any type of injury due to the neurological benefits.
• Avoid the use of drugs: painkillers are the number one option to relieve leg pain for most people, without knowing that they cause various side effects such as dependence on them. TENS is a less invasive and more natural alternative for pain relief that does not generate any side effects in the patient.
• It stimulates the secretion of endorphins: these are the analgesic hormone par excellence. During a TENS electrotherapy session on the thighs, a huge amount of endorphins is generated that will not only relieve pain and make the pain relief last, but will also improve your general mood. The latter will be of great help in speeding up recovery from the injury you are suffering from.

All these benefits make TENS therapy ideal for treating the vast majority of hamstring and quadriceps injuries. With it you will have a healthy alternative to painkillers and other medical drugs that generate various side effects in your body.

So do not hesitate to use transcutaneous nerve electrostimulation in cases such as:

• Muscle overloads
• Tears
• Cramps
• Tendonitis
• Contusions

Best TENS machines for thigh injury recovery

Now it's time for you to know the best electrostimulators and TENS devices to relieve your thigh pain and forget about painkillers forever.

The Etekcity massage unit offers one of the most comprehensive pain relief experiences you will find in a device of this type, with an innovative 4-channel function that allows you to apply different types of massage to individual areas of the body, increasing the effectiveness of electrostimulation therapy and delivering far superior results.

All its modes of use are FSA and HSA approved, making it completely safe for anyone to use. It can be operated and set up very easily. The package includes reusable electrodes coated with adhesive gel in 3 sizes: 2 units of 2x4 inches, 4 units of 2x2 inches and 2 units of 1.5x1.5 inches.

Roscoe medical has one of the most complete and versatile electrostimulation unit kits on the market, through which you can apply an immediate and effective treatment to various parts of the body simultaneously thanks to its 4-channel function.

It has the powerful composition of TENS and EMS stimulation modalities, making it the ideal choice to treat chronic ailments caused by various diseases, acute ailments caused by injuries, and stimulate muscle growth and recovery through electrical impulses.

This is a precise and compact wireless TENS electrostimulation device, brought to you by the iReliev brand, intended for the treatment of pain at precise points of the body. Thanks to its size and the fact that it does not require any wires to operate, it is completely discreet and can be used anywhere, while traveling and under clothing.

Its efficient use of TENS technology allows it to block pain signals before they reach the brain, making it a safe method of treating ailments. It also has a long-lasting lithium battery and an energy-efficient function, which turns the device off every 20 minutes. One of the best devices on the market in terms of portability, discretion and functionality.

The Belifu electrostimulator has several features that make it stand out from other devices of this type. One of these is its function of 2 independent channels that will allow you to individually treat different areas of the body. It has 24 massage modes and 20 intensity levels that allow for a wide range of ailment relief.

The Belifu electric massager includes 10 reusable self-adhesive conductive electrodes pads and 5 sets of guide wires. The electrodes are coated with a layer of adhesive that gives them perfect adhesion to the skin, and with proper care, can withstand a large number of uses before they need to be replaced.

Among the various products offered by the AccuRelief brand, its remote-controlled TENS electrostimulation unit has a lot of very interesting functions and features. It is based on TENS stimulation technology to influence the production of endorphins, which act as natural painkillers in the body.

The package includes 1 wireless remote control operating on AAA batteries 2 electrode control units, 2 reusable gel pads and an instruction manual. The ergonomic and compact design of the pads allows them to be used anywhere on the body, and they are discreet enough to be worn under clothing. It has 3 modes of use and 20 levels of intensity designed for safe and fast pain relief.

How to use an EMS muscle electro stimulator for the legs?

As we mentioned above, EMS is not indicated as effective for treating thigh pain, but this does not mean that you should forget about it. The reality is that this form of electrotherapy is extremely beneficial for avoiding muscle injuries and keeping your hamstrings and quads in a state of total grace.

Among the most important benefits of EMS we can highlight:

• Strengthens muscle fibers: training with medium and high intensity currents will help you keep each of the fibers that make up your hamstrings and quads strong at all times. This is especially valuable for people who don't have time to go to the gym.
• Improves muscle response: the thighs are the muscle group that requires the greatest recruitment of fibers to perform explosive and powerful efforts, and this recruitment is considerably improved thanks to EMS electrotherapy.
• Improves blood flow: during and after EMS training the blood vessels will dilate increasing the amount of red blood cells that pass through them, which in turn will allow greater oxygenation of tissues and increase the assimilation of nutrients in the muscle fibers of the quadriceps, femoral and other hamstring muscles.
• Prevents muscle injuries: all these benefits translate into a considerable increase in the resistance of your muscles to injury. This will give you more confidence to perform explosive movements with your thighs without fear of injury.
• Reduces the appearance of trigger points: continuous training with EMS will improve the elasticity of deep muscle tissue, preventing the fascia from shortening and the appearance of so-called myofascial pain points.

It should be noted that these benefits will only be taken advantage of if we use EMS on a regular basis and during periods when we are not injured. Keep in mind that it is not recommended for recovery from ailments and injuries, but rather for prevention or rehabilitation after long periods of muscular inactivity due to long-term injuries.

Best EMS electrostimulators to strengthen quadriceps and hamstring muscles

Now it's time for you to get to know the best EMS electro stimulators you can buy to keep your thighs healthy, strong and turn them into a real anti-injury fortress.

The Compex Sport Elite 2.0 comes to the market as one of the most versatile and complete options to increase the results of physical conditioning and reduce the negative effects of the same through its TENS stimulation technology which allows an adequate management of the odor, reducing the intensity of the same and increasing the mobility and functionality of the muscles.

It includes 10 electrostimulation modes divided into 3 recovery modes, 2 warm-up modes, 1 TENS massage mode and 4 strength training modes. It also has 5 levels of progressive intensity that will help you improve your strength, endurance and combat various ailments caused by exhaustion.

Xpoin has one of the best electrostimulation machines on the market. This is the Xpoint Luxury unit, which has a dual channel function that maximizes its effectiveness in different areas of the body simultaneously, and includes a large supply of pads included with your purchase, with 16 units. It is one of the best options for the treatment of acute and chronic joint and muscle ailments.

What distinguishes this electrostimulator from others on the market is its lightweight design with black and gold finishes, its high quality materials and the inclusion of a dust-proof leather bag with which you can take it wherever you want safely. The compact size in which you can find this device will allow you to take it with you and use it wherever you like very easily, as it is incredibly discreet.

From the FEIHAI brand, you have at your disposal one of the most complete electric massage machines on the market, thanks to its large number of functions. Among these are its 20 predefined massage modes that will allow you to relieve any type of muscle ailment, and its 4-channel function through which you can apply different massages on various parts of the body at the same time.

It has 20 modes of use and 40 adjustable intensity levels, as well as a time controller that allows you to adjust the therapy sessions according to your needs. Its compact size makes it incredibly discreet, so you can take it to the office, on a trip, on the street or wherever you like.

PowerDot 2.0 wireless muscle stimulation electrodes are among the newest and most cutting-edge devices related to the field of physiotherapy, specifically designed to be portable, comfortable and provide an immediate sense of relief to its users. The package includes 2 pre-loaded pods, 2 sets of lead wires, 2 sets of electrode pads, 1 carrying case, 1 USB charging cable and 1 user guide.

To provide one of the fastest and most comprehensive improvements for pain of all types, the PowerDot 2.0 has over 400 different usage modes with different settings, aimed at muscle recovery, performance enhancement and pain relief, which can be adapted according to recent activity, fatigue level and the area to be treated. All these options can be managed through its mobile application, which is available for both Android and iPhone mobiles.

The Mollan brand has in its stock one of the most powerful electro stimulators on the market, which also has an incredible versatility thanks to its 36 modes of use, which combine the most advanced TENS and EMS electro stimulation technologies. Thanks to this, it is one of the most complete options for treating acute and chronic ailments and strengthening the muscles of the shoulders, back, legs and more.

The Mollan TENS electrostimulation unit features a dual independent channels function, whereby you can program two separate massage modes on channels A and B of the device, which means you can apply a pain relief massage mode on one channel, while using a muscle electrostimulation program on the other.

Video: How to place electrodes pads on the thighs?

Electrodes for quadriceps

Electrodes for hamstrings

Electrodes for abductors

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How to use a TENS units & EMS machines for thigh pain relief? Placement of electrode pads

Most common types of thigh injuries

Thigh injuries are usually mainly related to the femur, quadriceps and hamstrings. Among the most common we can mention the following:

• Biceps femoris rupture: it consists of the pronounced tearing of the fibers that make up this femoral muscle. This injury generates severe pain that prevents any attempt at mobility with the affected leg, and if not treated in time, can cause muscle deformities and constant weakness in the leg.
• Muscle cramps: this is a spasm that generates an involuntary muscle contraction that causes a section of a muscle to remain tense for several seconds. Its occurrence is related to poor hydration, abuse of the muscle during training and in some cases even poor blood circulation.
• Muscle contusion: this is a blow received on the quadriceps or hamstrings that generates superficial damage to the muscle fibers, which causes the impact area to swell and generate acute pain when trying to contract the muscle. If the impact is very strong, it could cause muscle tearing or rupture.
• Femur fracture: it occurs when this bone receives a strong impact that causes a superficial or even total crack that generates that the two parts of the femur come out of their position. It is usually accompanied by muscle contusions since, being the most resistant bone structure in the anatomy, a very powerful blow is needed to fracture it.
• Syndrome of the iliotibial band: it is the inflammation on the connective band that goes from the pelvis to the superior head of the tibia, just in the external side of the knee. This tissue becomes so inflamed that it rubs against the femur, causing instability when walking, weakness and a very uncomfortable sharp pain.

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

To treat painful thigh injuries, electrotherapy is one of the best alternatives. First of all, it uses transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS, which is a method that uses current to act on the femoral nerve and the obturator nerve that pass through the thigh to alter their capacity to receive pain.

This is achieved by altering the activation of nociceptors in the cells and the production of pain neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which increases the user's pain tolerance threshold.

The second modality is electrostimulation muscle therapy or EMS. This focuses on training and strengthening the quadriceps and hamstring muscles by using more intense currents that generate contractions in these muscles, thus simulating those we get naturally when training legs in the gym, running or even walking.

If we focus specifically on pain relief, the ability to alter the pain neurotransmitters of the femoral and obturator nerves, make TENS the most convenient. In addition, when suffering from muscle injuries or any ailment that generates damage at the level of the fibers of these, the most recommended is to rest them, which makes EMS can even be counterproductive since contracting an injured muscle can worsen the scenario.

However, this does not mean that the usefulness of EMS cannot help you have a healthier life. The reality is that it is also an important support for maintaining the health of the hamstrings and quadriceps, as using it regularly will significantly reduce the likelihood of thigh injuries.

Contraindications in the use of electrodes and electrotherapy