Neuromuscular Electrostimulation, also known as NMES,
is the process of applying a small electrical current to muscles
which stimulates those muscles to contract.
 


 
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) is a safe, non-invasive modality to treat pain and muscle weakness and to enhance motor learning. A low frequency electrical current is generated by a stimulator and travels through electrodes placed on the skin. A water-based gel is used to conduct the current from the electrodes through the skin. Depending on your pet’s hair coat, a small area may need to be shaved. NMES works by sending an electrical impulse into a muscle group, eliciting a contraction. For a muscle to contract, the central nervous system will send an electrical signal through the body via neurons. Once this signal reaches its destination, the result is called an action potential. Once these action potentials build within the cells of muscles, the physiological effects result in a muscle contraction. NMES works by mimicking the action potential at a specific muscle group; the current excites nerves innervating desired muscles and causes those muscles to contract. The current also blocks pain pathways and reduces swelling. In addition, NMES can aid in improving sensory awareness.

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation may be helpful for animals with decreased muscle mass resulting from disuse after an injury or from a neurological injury. NMES may be used in conjunction with your pet’s rehabilitation program. It is particularly effective for patients that are immediately post-surgery and are not able to or not allowed to use the limb they had surgery on or patients that have neurological impairments. When muscles are not used, they lose mass very quickly (muscle atrophy). NMES serves as a tool to help slow and/or prevent this atrophy. Additionally, by mimicking the action potentials in a muscle group, NMES can help re-educate the nerves in the area so that a patient suffering from neurological dysfunction can begin to progress towards function. During rehab sessions, various functional exercises may be paired with the muscle contractions stimulated by NMES, which emphasizes neuromuscular re-education.
 
What to expect: The treatment session will usually last 10-20 minutes. The treatment area may be shaved and a water-soluble gel is applied. A pair of soft electrodes is applied to the skin in order to stimulate muscle contractions. Your pet will experience a mild tingling sensation and undergo alternating muscle contractions for 10-15 seconds, followed by a 20-30 second rest. NMES is a safe, non-invasive modality and during treatments, many pets can feel their muscles activating in a pulsing “twitch”, but this is kept at a comfortable intensity.