Portland Physical Therapy
1020 Congress St, Portland, ME 04102
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Electrical Stimulation (E-Stim)
Electrical stimulation is the use of electricity harnessed through a machine and gently pulsed through the muscle to create a desired effect. Depending on the setting chosen, electrical stimulation can help reduce swelling, muscle spasms, tightness and/or pain. It also has the ability to cause a muscle to contract. This is particularly beneficial following an injury or surgery when our patients are having a difficult time making the muscle contract on their own.
Our machine also has a biofeedback monitor that allows us to see on the screen how well a patient is activating a particular muscle. This helps the clinician know if the desired muscle is activating, and also helps give the patient real time feedback as they attempt to contract an inactive muscle. This is a very useful tool for muscles that have not been contracting properly because of chronic mechanical issues, or post injury/surgery.