Electrosage

[Jimi5]

I just saw an Advertisement for the Electrosage unit and am curious:

Do these units work??
Is there any difference on the way it would affect a paralized persons muscles?

For $39.95 I just may try it.

[SCI-Nurse]

I haven't heard of this one. Where did you see this advertisement? What is this device supposed to do? (EMK)

[Jimi5]

It was on TV, a commercial on FXNetwork, and it's like an electronic muscle stimulator.
It's at this website http://www.asseenontv.com/prod-pages/igia-electrosage-8.html and the commercial said $39.95 but the website says $79.95

[SCI-Nurse]

Although I don't know anyting about this specific product, from looking at it on the web site, I expect that it is similar to a FES unit. I would recommend that you at least check with your practitioner before using it to make sure you have no medical reasons you should not be doing a FES program. If you are coeared, it would be worth a try, and the price is not too bad. (jah)

[stephen212]

SAVE YOUR MONEY!! There is no way that this unit is going to give you the results you seek -- it simply doesn't have the output. A unit that runs on a 9V battery doesn't have the power to stimulate muscle tissue deep enough to have a therapeutic effect. Will a unit like this cause some muscle contraction? Probably, so will any TENS unit. But I repeat, this unit doesn't have the cajones to firm up your physique.

I recently bought a relatively affordable ($300) EMS unit (with the so-called "Russian" wave form for deep muscle stim) in the hopes of tightening up my para belly. The unit I selected has sufficient power and delivers very intense contractions but still failed to deliver the results I was hoping for. ABs are particularly stubborn in responding to electric stim.

I've yet to discover any machine or EMS protocol that can firm up paralyzed ABs. I had contacted Electrologic some time ago to discuss their very expensive muscle stim unit (~$5000), and despite several lengthy conversations with them they were never able to provide me with any scientific literature to support the claim that their unit could deliver the results boasted on their Web site. None of the literature they cited even used their machine; it referenced the ElectroStim 180 (the granddaddy of Russian stim units and available at a fraction of the price).

And of the user references Electrologic provided to me, not one person was using the unit on their ABs. All the referrals were quads who were using the unit principally to bulk up their gluts.

[Scorpion]

Stephen, any contraction is better than no contraction. Sure, the stronger the contraction the better, but if it's contracting, it's working and getting the blood to flow. And it doesn't take much juice to get the muscles to contract. I doubt paralyzed muscles will respond as well as innervated muscles to any form of FES anyway. Not everyone can afford a lot of money for a high-end FES system, and Jim didn't say anything about trying to firm up his abdominals. And if there's a money-back guarantee, what the hell?

Also, tone in your abs isn't going to be there without the muscles being innervated. You may tighten them up some, but I don't see how anything other that constant stimulation is going to give you a six-pack. Tbe reason an A/B can have tone is the constant input from the brain, and the abdominals are working against/with the back muscles to constantly maintain posture. If you're not controlling the muscles with your brain, it seems to me even mild FES is going to keep the muscle fibers contracting enough to at least keep the muscles from completely atrophying. If you stopped using your FES because you couldn't get rid of your parabelly, maybe your expectations of what FES could provide were not attainable to begin with. Hell, I'm no expert, that's just my opinion.

BTW, is a TENS unit those little transistor radio-looking units they use in rehab?

[This message was edited by Scorpion on September 04, 2001 at 12:01 AM.]

[Rbyrd2531]

I use a model that has a 12 volt system for Steve. It definitely causes a deep contracting on any muscle group I use it on. When in a sitting position and I use it on his upper legs, it makes them completely straighten out and then relax again..I use it on his abs...and they are tighter..however, until he is able to control those muscles, he will not be rid of the "pouch". I also use it on his leg muscles and his phys therapist recently remarked about the good condition of his legs. (he is two years post injury T-3) Also there is some indication that in some areas I have used it he has regained sensation there over time. I would think that in the least an estim device increases muscle movement and circulation in an area...even cutting the risk of pressure sores.
The unit i have is Neurocare
Russ Byrd

Russ Byrd