For the last 10 years, XBody EMS has been a significant tool in supporting the recovery of hundreds of physio clients at this forward thinking clinic. We spoke to Physios Mark and Jo about the benefits and applications of WB-EMS.
Just outside of Copenhagen, lies their gym and physio clinic where a very different and holistic approach is taken towards recovery. When Mark and Jo first came across EMS, they tried it and decided almost immediately that it was a tool that would be useful in their work.
Today EMS has emerged from its history of being used solely as a pain relieving therapy to being applied during workouts. An increasing amount of studies clearly show the positive effects of introducing Electrical Muscle Stimulation into a rehabilitation or training program.
Commonly, physiotherapists may use an isolated EMS or TENS impulse surrounding an affected area of the body to manage pain or increase muscle strength / activity. At Fysio Danmark, Mark and Jo have taken a completely different approach.
Rather than restricting the impulses to a particular area, the team encourage clients to undertake full body workouts, which are cleverly designed to focus on the most in-need areas / muscle groups whilst providing benefits to the entire body system as a whole.
Mark explained that his clients are normally surprised by this at the start of their journey. They arrive expecting the repetitive and static exercises usually prescribed by a physiotherapist but instead receive a full body workout. Over time, they become much more engaged and motivated by their rehabilitation journey, as they feel a wider range of benefits, improving their quality of life at a more rapid rate.
Due to their fearless incorporation of WB-EMS, Mark, Jo and the entire Fysio Danmark team have created some jaw-dropping success stories. EMS has been a significant contributing factor in supporting a man to walk again after being paralysed from the neck down. Even decades later his man still works closely with the Fysio Danmark team.
When it comes to professional athletes, the team applies EMS for both physio and sport-specific strength and conditioning. With tennis players for example, by training the serve in an EMS suit, it's possible to significantly increase serve speed. This method of using EMS to create resistance is gaining momentum amongst professional coaches worldwide. Most notably, amongst golf professionals to improve swing.
Mark and Jo see EMS as an important tool in their physiotherapy toolbox. Due to an excellent track-record, their clinic has become so busy that they are already delivering class-based rehabilitation sessions, grouping together people with similar needs and/or injuries. Soon, the pair plan to incorporate XBody EMS into these group sessions to further enhance the effectiveness of their work.
In order to find out more about incorporating WB-EMS technology into your physio clinic, and to book a medical showcase at your location, get in touch.
Further reading:
Pantovic, Milan. (2014). Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Resistance Training on Knee Extensor/Flexor Muscles. Coll. Antropol. 39 (2015) Suppl. 1: 153–15. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282367347_Effects_of_Neuromuscular_Electrical_Stimulation_and_Resistance_Training_on_Knee_ExtensorFlexor_Muscles
Berger, J. (2020) Effects of an Impulse Frequency Dependent 10-Week Whole-body Electromyostimulation Training Program on Specific Sport Performance Parameters, Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2020) 19, 271 - 281. https://www.jssm.org/jssm-19-271.xml
Kemmler, W. et al (2018) Efficacy and Safety of Low Frequency Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) to Improve Health-Related Outcomes in Non-athletic Adults. A Systematic Review Frontiers in Physiology 23 May 2018, 9 https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fphys.2018.00573