Compex - our neuromuscular muscle stimulation equipment

Are you suffering from muscle wasting due to injury or arthritis? then our Compex equipment can help. It’s a great piece of equipment that can be used on any area of the body for neuromuscular stimulation. It creates action potentials in the muscle which helps build muscle strength back up. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on knee problems that may have affected your knee muscle strength. This could be caused by arthritis, mal-tracking of the knee, or after surgery.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) was initially used to strengthen and improve the function of athletes however, it has become much more common in clinical practice. Not only does it improve muscle strength, it also can be used to improve the range of motion around a joint, reduce oedema, reduce atrophy, aids healing and reduces pain. There is a general misconception that NMES is used primarily for rehabilitation and recovery but it is also great for training purposes. Contractions generated from NMES are up to 30% greater than a voluntary contractions due to an increase in muscle fibre recruitment.

Knee

The Importance of Quadriceps Strength:

Prevent knee injuries (preventing excessive varus/valgus knee displacement, overuse and acute knee injuries)
Reduce forces through the knee joint (eccentric control during knee extension reduces ground reaction force)
OA Knee

The evidence base advocating exercise for the management of OA knee is irrefutable. Reduced movement and disuse of the knee, due to pain and fear of further damage, leads to atrophy of the quadriceps and shortening of the muscle, which results in reduced movement and can alter gait. Increased quadriceps strength plays an important role in protecting the knee cartilage from excessive force. Isokinetic quadriceps strength is a strong predictor of OA knee and a fundamental risk factor for joint degeneration. According to research, NMES improves strength of a muscle over a 3month period. NMES results are best achieved in conjunction with other exercises.

Post Op Knee

Patients who have had a knee arthroplasty have been challenged to restore quadriceps strength to that of their uninjured peers through voluntary exercise. Using the NMES improves the strength and speed of contractions and overall power of quadriceps muscle.

Anterior Knee Pain

Anterior Knee Pain includes injury to the cartilage, tendons, patella and fat pads. Some common injuries include chondromalacia, runner’s knee (patellar tendinitis), lateral compression syndrome, quadriceps tendinitis and patella mal-tracking. Using the NMES can help to evenly strengthen the four quadricep muscles to minimise any strength imbalances, thus abnormal patella tracking or malalignment, during extension of the knee. The NMES can target each individual quadriceps muscle which is difficult/near impossible to do voluntarily. Changes in the angle of the knee will have an adverse effect on force generated by the quadriceps. Poor quadricep strength results in reduced range of movement and lead to tight hamstrings.