Why You Should be Using Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation - The Power of the PowerDot

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:41 What is NMES?
1:36 Why we love the PowerDot
1:53 What role does NMES play in rehab?
2:24 What does NMES do in rehab to rehab?
5:41 PowerDot setup
6:42 Some of our favorite PowerDot exercises
9:25 How your clients can use their PowerDots at home
10:48 Get your hands on your own PowerDot
Let's chat about one of our favorite pieces of equipment here at [P]rehab HQ - the PowerDot MT. The PowerDot MT is a wireless NMES (or neuromuscular electrical stimulation) unit designed to make neuromuscular re-education and restoring muscle function EASY and EFFECTIVE in the clinic. It's crazy to think about how far technology has come since we were in PT school. We used to lug around a 10-20 lb box with wires all over the place!
Remind me, what is NMES? Neuromuscular electrical stimulation uses a device that sends electrical impulses to nerves. This input causes muscles to contract. It is often used to “re-train” or “re-educate” a muscle to function and to build strength. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation has been proven to improve muscle activation, decrease edema, and mitigate muscle atrophy secondary to arthrogenic inhibition in the postoperative population.
So we know that the early addition of NMES can effectively attenuate the loss of muscle following an injury or surgery like total knee replacement or ACL repair. However, in order to achieve these results it's important that we are set up for success in the clinic - using technology that is well validated, effective, and easy to use - and that's where the PowerDot MT comes in!
Why use NMES? When consciously trying to activate a muscle, the body generally recruits the smaller muscle fibers or motor units first, and with increased effort, the body can activate the larger fibers and motor units to maximize muscle recruitment when performing a motion or task. However, after an injury or a surgery, due to factors such as arthrogenic inhibition from swelling and pain the body can lose the ability to maximally recruit all of these motor units and therefore its muscles.
That's where NMES comes in - generally speaking the electrical stimulation works essentially opposite to our conscious muscle recruitment strategy - recruiting from biggest to smallest rather than smallest to biggest.
With the addition of the NMES the goal is ideally to meet in the middle and regain effective and conscious maximal muscle recruitment faster to mitigate all the secondary complications that can result from loss of muscle activation and control.
Be sure to check out the Powerdot MT by Therabody to learn more!
- www.therabody.com/us/en-us/th...
Want to learn more about how to improve muscle strength following surgery or injury?
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[@RostamTorki]

If this is sponsored you should probably mention that in the description.

[@AsadKhan-ku5rc]

Hi, thanks for your informative videos it's very helpful, i have a problem with foot drop no grip during walking so can you please suggest some good stretching/exercises. Thanks, and to mention i have my knock knee problems too so when i walk my feet just flapping, during walking when i take a step on a leg then it becomes harder to bring back that leg.

[@afz703]

Hi I could not see how you setup the ACL rehab program for DisUse Atrophy as your screenshots are really small to read from. Can you please provide the steps so that I may set it up for my ACL recovery. Thanks a million.

[@rfs9210]

Is there a moment when you debate to use BFR over NMES to prevent disuse atrophy? I guess I assume you want to make sure they have adequate quad contraction before starting BFR? Love y'alls videos by the way!

[@doruntine3139]

Do you recommend neuromuscular electrical stimulation on a patient who had a distal radius fracture ? The patient has been in cast for 8 weeks without surgery and afterwards developed algodystrophy on his wrist and shoulder. For now, amplitudes of the wrist have not yet been recovered. The shoulder is sometimes painful. Thank you for your answer.

[@copetecuito]

I have a peripheral nerve injury from a disc bulge post surgery. Im unable to fire some muscles properly such as my calfs. could this help promote nerve repair? thanks

[@limitisillusion7]

Sounds good. I'm going buy a few of these. I plan to get wired up and enter a medically induced coma. I figure I can put on 20 pounds of muscle in 8-10 months if I hook up my IV to this barrel of protein powder.

[@CarlosMercadoINIGTDY]

how did it go? you pumped yet?

[@cszulu2000]

If working out with it on, is there an option to lock the hub out from. Accidental touches?

[@mattferreira7886]

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is a very good topic to cover. I feel that there is not enough information on this niche so the fact that you guys are covering it will definitely resonate with your audience.

[@ThePrehabGuys]

Thanks Matt! Definitely has a time and place but we felt touching on it is important to give individuals an understanding of when it's best to use and why! Appreciate the kind words as always!

[@knieselchri]

I'm using the wireless Compex after my shoulder surgery for > 6 month now. Honestly I prefer cables to wireless because the wireless pods cause the pads to come off even quicker. Its better using compression shirts but still I feel most videos raise too high expectations when it comes to using NMES during excesices to support neurological reeducation Whats your experience with dots? Can you e.g. do face pulls standing for 30min with pods on infraspinatus + lower? traps?

[@ThePrehabGuys]

Solid question, Christian! We have found the pods to be helpful just with the ease of having our patients and clients work through a range of motion with them on. Less cables means (typically) more available range of motion and we can have them move throughout the gym without limitations.

[@eltio77556]

Hi, which app do you guy use? i can't find disuse atrophy.

[@fpenland]

Hi with my powerdot there is no disuse atrophy program? What program do you recommend for post ACL reconstruction rehab?

[@LivingTithe]

Anyone have experience with INF and NMES combination?

[@60WarMachine]

I just got a power dot 2.0 duo but I do not see the manual setting anymore on the app on either on IOS or Android. Is this the same for everyone or am I doing something wrong?

[@uabir8338]

What's the difference in quality between this vs and other cheap ems/tens device? This felt like a sponsored ad.

[@ThePrehabGuys]

Good question! Typically, any sort of NMES can serve beneficial for patients who may require it. We enjoy using the PowerDot as we are able to have our patients move around the clinic without being connected to cords or wires which allows for great ease with performing certain exercises!

[@jzckuprising68]

Obviously you wouldn't use this while in water because electricity with water is bad, but can I put this on my left pectoral muscle if I don't have any heart conditions? I'll probably consult my doctor before hand too just to be safe

[@ThePrehabGuys]

Chat with your healthcare provider to be cleared!

[@abcxyz00100]

I hate TENS, not good for my shoulder tendonitis. Tried 2 times. Never again

[@ThePrehabGuys]

Everyone has a different response to it! Is your shoulder feeling better?

[@abcxyz00100]

@@ThePrehabGuys 2 years without pullups, benchpress... still bad but 50% better. It was evolution injury. From better to worse and again better. Doing DNS stabilization currently and tsatsouline KB program. My brain still can't effective control and stability scapula after injury impingement during pullup / overhead press.

[@LivingTithe]

Have you tried INF for pain?

[@Nicksilver101]

If you want to talk about NMES I don't mind. I think it's pretty useless, but at least don't make the video one big ad.

[@ThePrehabGuys]

We're sorry you feel that way! Everyone has a different take on the role that NMES can play and we have been getting several questions regarding our thoughts surrounding it so we thought we would share a bit about how we use it with some of our clients. Thanks for your feedback however, it helps us to keep creating content you want to see!

[@GhostOfRT300]

One big ad. Save yourself 10 minutes of your life.

[@PhineusFerb]

really really sounds like a commercial for this particular product versus balanced discussion of muscle stim - makes me skeptical of your content

[@jojojaykay]

Lame ad. Please don’t go the way of all the other filthy PT/ fitness influencers.

[@ThePrehabGuys]

We're sorry you feel that way! Not trying to push this product on anyone, just wanted to share our experience using them and have been getting lots of questions regarding the use of NMES for specific injuries so thought we would share our thoughts. Thanks for your feedback though, helps us continue to put out content you want to see! Cheers!

[@deltaxsingh]

Lol just an ad for this product. It sucks, the pads are so prohibitively expensive and solely manufactured by this company. Don't bother

[@ThePrehabGuys]

The video is spreading awareness for functional electrical stimulation use! Other companies' products can be used, this is just what we use in our clinic