Workers in the rehabilitation industry know how to use equipment to make their patients’ lives easier. They also know how expensive this equipment can be. One way to deal with the incredible costs of medical equipment is to purchase used medical equipment. One type if equipment that therapists and physicians can purchase used is electrical muscle stimulation equipment.

Used electrical muscle stimulation equipment, which is sometimes called electromyostimulation or neuromuscular electrical stimulation, uses electric impulses to elicit muscle contraction. It causes muscles to contract using impulses that copy action potential from the central nervous system. The used equipment for electrical muscle stimulation uses pads that stick to an individual’s skin.

Physicians and rehabilitation specialists use electrical muscle stimulation equipment to tone and strengthen muscles. The equipment is used to help prevent muscle atrophy, which occurs after injuries and damage to the ligaments, joints, tendons, muscles, and bones. It can also be used to help relax muscles spasms, increase blood circulation, re-educate muscles, prevent venous thrombosis after surgery, and to increase range of motion.

Physicians also use electrical muscle stimulation equipment to help patients with aesthetic goals, although this is quite controversial. Some claim that the devices burn calories. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejects this idea, pointing out that weight loss occurs when several muscles, the respiratory system, and the heart work together. It claims that the electrical muscle stimulation equipment burns so few calories that using it as a weight-loss device is negligible. Others use electrical muscle stimulation equipment for sport training. Some coaches, including some high-profile coaches, use the equipment regularly as a main focus in athletic training.

There are two different types of electrical muscle stimulation equipment approved by the FDA. One type is prescription devices, which should only be used under an authorized practitioner’s supervision. The other type of equipment can be purchased over-the-counter. Both types of equipment can be purchased by used medical equipment suppliers.