Compex SP4.0 - Manual (Page 5)

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EN
2. HOW DOES ELECTROSTIMULATION WORK?
Electrostimulation involves stimulating nerve fibres by electrical impulses transmitted by electrodes. The
electrical impulses produced by Compex stimulators are high-quality impulses that are safe, comfortable
and effective and stimulate various types of nerve fibres:
1. Motor nerves to stimulate a muscular response, referred to as electrical muscle stimulation (EMS).
2. Certain types of sensitive nerve fibres to obtain analgesic effects or pain relief.
1. STIMULATION OF MOTOR NERVES (EMS)
With voluntary activity, the brain orders muscles to contract and a command is then sent to nerve fibres
in the form of an electrical signal. This signal is then sent to muscle fibres, which contract. The principle of
electrostimulation accurately reproduces the process involved in a voluntary contraction. The stimulator
sends an electrical impulse to nerve fibres to excite them. This excitation is then transmitted to muscle
fibres and results in a basic mechanical response (= a twitch). This is the basic requirement for muscular
contraction. The muscular response is to all intents and purposes identical to the muscular work
controlled by the brain. In other words, the muscle does not distinguish between a command sent by the
brain or the stimulator.
Programme settings (number of impulses per second, duration of contraction, rest time, total programme
duration) subject the muscle to various types of work, depending on the muscle fibre. Various types
of muscle fibres can be identified according to their respective contraction speeds: slow, intermediate
and fast fibres. A sprinter clearly has more fast fibres and a marathon runner has more slow fibres. With
good knowledge of human physiology and full control of stimulation settings of the various programmes,
muscular work can be specifically pinpointed to achieve the desired objective (muscular strengthening,
increased blood circulation, firming, etc.).