How Does It Work; Motor Nerve Stimulation (Ems); Stimulation Of The Sensitive Nerves; Use Principles - Compex Fitness Manual De Instrucciones

IV. HOW DOES IT WORK?
he principle of electrostimulation is
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to stimulate nerve fibres by means of
electrical impulses transmitted by
electrodes.
he electrical impulses generated by
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Compex stimulators are high-quality
impulses – ensuring safety, comfort
and efficiency – that stimulate differ-
ent types of nerve fibres:
– the motor nerves to stimulate a muscular re-
sponse. The quantity of work and the benefits ob-
tained depend on the stimulation parameters.
This is known as electromuscularstimulation
(EMS).
– certain types of sensitive nerve fibres to obtain
analgesic or pain-relieving effects.
1. Motor nerve stimulation
(EMS)
n voluntary activity, the order for
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muscular work comes from the brain,
which sends a command to the nerve
fibres in the form of an electrical sig-
nal. This signal is then transmitted to
the muscular fibres, which contract.
he principle of electrostimulation
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accurately reproduces the process
observed during a voluntary contrac-
tion. The stimulator sends an electri-
cal current impulse to the nerve
fibres, exciting them. This excitation
is then transmitted to the muscular fi-
bres causing a basic mechanical re-
sponse (= muscular twitch). The
latter constitutes the basic require-
ment for muscular contraction.
his muscular response is completely
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identical to muscular work controlled
by the brain. In other words, the
muscle cannot distinguish whether
the command comes from the brain
or from the stimulator.
he parameters of the Compex pro-
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96 grammes (number of impulses per
Electrical
impulse
Excitation
Excitation
transmission
Motor
nerve
Stimulated
muscle
Basic mechanical response = muscular twitch
second, contraction time, rest time,
total programme time) subject the
muscles to different types of work,
according to muscular fibres. In fact,
different types of muscular fibres
may be distinguished according to
their respective contraction speed:
slow, intermediate and fast fibres.
The fast fibres will obviously pre-
dominate in a sprinter, while a
marathon runner will have more
slow fibres.
ith a good knowledge of human
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physiology and a perfect mastery of
the stimulation parameters of the var-
ious programmes, the muscular work
can be directed very precisely to-
wards the desired goal (muscular re-
inforcement, increased blood flow,
firming up, etc.).
2. Stimulation
of the sensitive nerves
he electrical impulses can also ex-
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cite the sensitive nerve fibres to ob-
tain an analgesic or pain-relieving
effect.
he stimulation of the tactile sensitive
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nerve fibres blocks the transmission
of pain by the nervous system. The
stimulation of another type of
sensitive fibres creates an increase in
the production of endorphins and,
therefore, a reduction of pain. Do not use the pain relief programmes
for a long period without medical
advice.
Benefits of electrostimulation
Electrostimulation is a very effective way to make
your muscles work:
with significant improvement of different mus-
cular qualities,
without cardio-vascular or mental fatigue,
with limited stress on the joints and tendons.
Electrostimulation thus allows a greater quantity
of work by the muscles compared with voluntary
activity.
To be effective, this work must involve the great-
est possible number of muscular fibres. The
number of fibres working depends on the stimu-
V. USE PRINCIPLES
he use principles presented in this section should be considered general
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rules. For all programmes, it is recommended that you read carefully the infor-
mation and advice on use presented in chapter VII of this manual ("Pro-
grammes and specific applications").

1. Placement of electrodes

It is recommended that you comply
with the suggested placements. To do
this, refer to the pictures and pictograms
shown on the poster and to the "Table with
placements of electrodes and stimulation
positions" in chapter VI.
stimulation cable consists of two
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poles:
– a positive pole (+) = red connection
– a negative pole (–) = black connection
different electrode must be con-
A
nected to each of the two poles.
ote: It is possible and normal to
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have an electrode arrangement that
ith pain relief programmes, elec-
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trostimulation can be used to treat
localized sharp or chronic pains as
well as muscular pains.
lation energy. It will therefore be necessary to
use the maximum tolerable energy. The user
controls this aspect of stimulation. The higher
the stimulation energy, the greater the number
of muscular fibres that are working and, there-
fore, the more significant the progress
achieved.
To maximize your results, Compex recommends
that you complement your electrostimulation
sessions with other efforts, like:
regular exercise,
proper and healthy nutrition,
balanced lifestyle.
leads one electrode connection free
from a cable.
epending on the characteristics of
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the current used for each programme,
the electrode connected to the posi-
tive pole (red connection) is more ef-
fective when placed in a "strategic"
position.
or all muscle electrostimulation pro-
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grammes, i.e., programmes involving
muscle contractions, it is important to
place the positive polarity electrode
on the muscle motor point.
he choice of electrode size (large or
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small) and the correct positioning of
the electrodes on the muscular group
to be stimulated are determinant and
essential factors for the effectiveness 97