Tools

Diabetic foot

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-13

Diabetes is one of the most common diseases today. The disease is “insidious”, as it causes no pain or complaints for a long time, meaning it can easily remain hidden. Complications are often the only discovery trigger. One of these is diabetic foot, which can slowly lead to a serious condition, even the dreaded amputation.

Diabetic foot lesions are most commonly caused by a triad of blood supply disturbance (ischaemia), neuropathy and infection. One of the dreaded complications of diabetes is amputation, the loss of a limb.

Statistics on complications of the diabetic foot: [1]

Complicated leg fracture is responsible for a significant proportion of diabetic amputations.
20-40% of diabetes treatment costs are related to the management of the diabetic foot.
7-10% of people with both diabetes and neuropathy also develop ulcers.
Amputation occurs within one year of ulceration in 5-8% of patients.
A leg ulcer is present in 85% of diabetes-related amputations.
Diabetes increases the risk of amputation eightfold in patients older than 45 years, 8 to 12 times in those older than 65 years, and 23 times in those between 65 and 74 years.

Diabetic neuropathy

Around 40% of people with diabetes have some degree of neuropathy. The consequences may include pain, sensory disturbance or movement disorders. One of the most important problems in the development of diabetic foot is the lack of sensation of the foot, the rubbing of the shoe, which can cause sensory disturbance. This leads to tissue damage, ulceration and deformation of the foot and encourages infections.

Diabetic ulcers and prolonged wound healing

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD, also known as vasoconstriction) is thought to be the cause of the blood supply problem in diabetic feet.
The risk of developing vascular stenosis is significantly increased by diabetes. Ischaemia is the main factor preventing wound healing.
Diabetic neuropathy and blood supply disturbance together are known as neuro ischaemia. In these cases, wound healing is influenced by the severity of the blood supply disturbance.

Infections

The most common sign of infection is an increase in wound exudate. [1]
The infection makes it difficult to balance diabetes. [1]
In the absence of treatment, infections on the diabetic foot can spread rapidly to other parts of the body and can even lead to life-threatening generalised septic infections [1]

Symptoms of diabetic foot

Muscle weakness in the muscles of the foot, ankle, leg or hand
Forceful posture and pain when walking
High arch or very flat feet
Numbness in the legs, arms and hands

Medical management of diabetic foot

Prevention is more important, with a focus on keeping diabetes in balance and blood glucose levels within the normal range
Treating established diabetic wounds by cleaning, disinfecting and dressing
The use of antibiotics is recommended for all infected wounds in combination with wound management [1]
Surgery is required if the infection has resulted in
- an abscess develops
- the infection extends to the bones or joints
- severe necrosis, gangrene or necrotizing fasciitis[1]

Physiotherapy treatment of diabetic foot

The purpose of using physiotherapy methods is twofold.
- The aim is to prevent the development of complications.
- On the other hand, to alleviate the symptoms of the diabetic foot that have developed. [4]
Physical therapists also play an important role in patient education
- teaching foot care and wound care
- teaching correct posture, gait and walking[4]
- instruction on the prevention of amputation
A number of clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of TENS treatment in reducing pain caused by diabetic neuropathy. [5]
Recent studies report the beneficial effects of soft laser treatment in both healing diabetic ulcers and relieving neuropathic symptoms.

I recommend B-Cure soft laser devices for the treatment of diabetic ulcers and neuropathy.

B-Cure Classic Soft Laser

- - Laser power class 1
  - 808 nanometer laser beam
  - PW (pulsed) laser
  - 250mW power
  - 6 minutes / 5 Joule

Alternatively, there are higher power class soft laser devices. These soft lasers deliver 5 Joules more rapidly, shortening the treatment time to 10-12.5 seconds compared to 6 minutes per spot.

Personal Laser L400 soft laser

- - Laser power class 3
  - 808 nanometer laser beam
  - CW (continuous wave) laser
  - 400 mW power
  - 12.5 sec / 5 Joule

High-end soft laser

EnergyLaser L500 Pro Bluetooth Soft Laser

- - Laser power class 3
  - 808 nanometer laser beam
  - CW (continuous wave) laser
  - 500 mW power
  - 10 sec / 5 Joule
  - Android app – Bluetooth connection

Sources

Lepäntaloa M, Apelqvistc J, Setaccie C, Riccof JB, de Donatoe G, Beckerg F, Robert-Ebadig H, Caoh P, Ecksteini HH, De Rangok P, Diehml N. Chapter V: Diabetic Foot. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. 2011;42(S2):S60-74.
Zakaria HM, Adel SM, Tantawy SA. The Role of Physical Therapy Intervention in the Management of Diabetic Neuropathic Foot Ulcers. Bull. Fac. Ph. Th. Cairo Univ. 2008 Jul;13(2).
Youtube Video: the Diabetic Foot Exam https://youtu.be/aVz-Ja9Grvg.
Kalra S, Kalra B, Kumar N. Prevention and management of diabetes: the role of the physiotherapist. Diabetes Voice. 2007;52 (3).
Dubinsky RM, Miyasaki J. Assessment: Efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in the treatment of pain in neurologic disorders (an evidence-based review) Report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2010 Jan 12;74(2):173-6.
Pedrosa HC, Leme LA, Novaes C, Saigg M, Sena F, Gomes EB, Coutinho A, Borges Carvalho WJ, Boulton A. The diabetic foot in South America: progress with the Brazilian Save the diabetic foot project. International Diabetes Monitor. 2004;16(4):17-23.
Turan Y, Ertugrul BM, Lipsky BA, Bayraktar K. Does physical therapy and rehabilitation improve outcomes for diabetic foot ulcers?. world journal of experimental medicine. 2015 May 20;5(2):130.

Symptoms Tools Treatments

Varicose veins: Symtoms, Causes and Treatment

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-13

Varicose veins disease can be “inherited”, but it is usually caused by a sedentary job and a sedentary lifestyle. It’s not just a cosmetic problem! Your veins, which are translucent and slightly prominent on the skin, are just a sign, and over time can lead to serious problems. Let’s look at the causes, complications and possible ways to solve them.

Symptoms of the varicose veins

You can easily check whether you are predisposed to varicose veins by observing your family members’ feet. If you see that the predisposition is there, think about prevention. The diagnosis of varicose vein disease is made on a visual basis, rarely requiring angiological (vascular) examination.

Causes of varicose vein disease

The veins (varicose veins) carry “worn out” blood in your body to the heart. The contraction of your muscles squeezes your veins, causing blood to flow. The veins have valves called venous valves, which in healthy conditions act as one-way gates, allowing blood to flow only towards the heart.

But if you don’t move enough, your muscles don’t “pump” the blood vessels. If your vein walls are damaged and your valves are weak, the efficiency of your venous circulation is compromised.

Causal factors (e.g. connective tissue weakness) and provoking factors (e.g. standing and sitting, sedentary lifestyle) can cause blood pressure in the veins of your legs to rise. The blood vessel dilates, causing the valves in your veins to fail to close properly. As a result, blood does not flow to the heart but stays in your veins. They become increasingly swollen and then tortuous. If the condition persists for a long time, the walls of the veins will eventually dilate and the condition cannot be “reversed” from there.

The main feature of blood vessel disease is that your veins cannot remove used blood and harmful metabolic waste products.

In such cases, it is more than a cosmetic problem.

In its mild form, you may “just” itch, your legs may become heavy or you may develop a straining pain. You may also experience muscle spasms, peeling skin and a brownish-red discolouration of the skin. The veins become more bulging and more prominent, and the swelling of the ankle and shin increases. In severe, neglected cases, a wound (ulcer) that is difficult to heal or the dreaded complication, thrombosis, can develop. The latter is a life-threatening condition.

Lack of physical activity, smoking and obesity are risk factors.

The older you are, the greater your chances of developing varicose veins. The rate of varicose veins is as high as 25% for people aged 60-69. And women are twice as likely to be affected as men, because their connective tissues, the walls of their veins, are weaker than those of men. Some female hormones and active ingredients in the contraceptive pill can also increase the risk, so it is worth choosing a different method of contraception.

Women who are pregnant are also at risk because the baby can suppress pelvic blood vessels during development, resulting in congestion in the veins of the leg. Unfortunately, during this 9-month period, hormonal changes also favour varicose veins.

Treatment of varicose veins

It is important to know that there is no cure for varicose veins that have already developed and that there is no way to restore the original condition!

The surgical “eradication” or “injection” of a tortuous, sore vein is really a cosmetic gimmick. If you don’t change your lifestyle, another vein will dilate, as you need to get blood from your leg back to the heart somewhere, as that is the function of veins! And you can’t “eliminate” all the veins. Using an analogy: An earthquake that destroys the railway tracks and roads leading into a city renders both entry and exit impossible. Your blood needs “transport routes”, i.e. killing or blocking veins is not a good solution.

Consider sclerotherapy, laser surgery, radiofrequency catheter removal of varicose veins, stripping, phlebectomy, and endoscopic surgery when the disease’s severity (e.g., recurrent thrombosis) permits no other option.

Some advice for everyday life

Get active every day (jogging, cycling, Nordic walking, brisk walking, hiking are all excellent)
Don’t use the lift, take the stairs
Wear flat, flexible-soled shoes (a maximum heel of 5 cm is recommended)
Avoid heat, sunbathing, saunas and thermal baths
If your feet swell, pad them often
If you’re at work, get up every half hour, move your legs, take a short walk
Do not sit cross-legged
Wear leggings or elastic stockings (a specialist recommends the right compression strength)
Your diet should be high in fibre and low in salt

Prevention and treatment of varicose veins

It’s important to understand what makes the blood flow in your varicose veins! Blood flow is provided by the movement of muscles. Your muscles contract again and again “push” your blood towards your heart. Without muscle movement, blood does not move (or moves very slowly). A sedentary lifestyle is therefore a direct route to varicose veins.

It follows that regular exercise is the best way to both prevent and treat varicose veins. Walking, running, swimming and cycling are the main ways to prevent and treat physical inactivity. By exercising you can increase circulation and get rid of stagnant blood.

Vein treatment usually involves the use of creams, medicines and compression stockings. Elastic tights or stockings work best when you are moving. If you just sit still in a stocking, the elasticity will not help, but it will be tight and uncomfortable. In other words, if you sit in an armchair in compression stockings, even if you think you are treating yourself, little good is actually happening.

Medical devices for home use to alleviate symptoms

There are two effective types of devices. One is the muscle stimulator device, and the other is the compression massage machine. Muscle stimulator treatment is perfectly adequate for milder symptoms, while the lymphatic massage machine is excellent even for the most severe complaints and even complications (ulcers).

The lymphatic massage machine treats with a cuff consisting of several air cavities. This cuff is put on your leg in a “boot-like” fashion. The machine inflates and deflates the air cuffs one after the other. It tightens the muscles and tissues, which starts the blood flowing up the veins. Swelling is reduced, tension is reduced, your circulation improves and your pain is relieved.

Lymphatic massage aka Compression Therapy units

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4 compression chamber cuffs
Use it equally in oedema affecting the arms or legs.
Optimal for arm swelling, developing after breast removal surgery (mastectomy)
Eliminate the feeling of heaviness of legs, and tension pains caused by varicosity.
Relieve swelling of your feet associated with varicosity in pregnancy.

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[message title=”Power Q-1000 Plus compression therapy unit” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Home treatment of mild to moderate lymphoedema without complications
For cardiac swelling after mastectomy, this device is usually sufficient
It is effective in relieving the heavy legs and tightness caused by varicose veins
You can also use it to reduce leg swelling in pregnancy varicose veins

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Treatment with a lymphatic massage machine and electrostimulation are not only excellent for prevention but also for post-operative pain and thrombosis prevention.

Guide on ultrasound dosing during treatment

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-13

As with other procedures and medicines, ultrasound treatment, usually used for musculoskeletal conditions, is not “consumable” indefinitely. Ultrasound dosing requires attention. It can be overdosed in the same way as drugs. Although it fortunately does not cause poisoning, it can cause an increase in symptoms and pain. If you experience this, stop the treatment and see what “dose” you need. Reducing the frequency, duration and/or intensity of treatment is the solution in such cases.

Basics of ultrasound dosing

Ultrasound frequency

The depth to which ultrasound rays penetrate the body depends on the frequency. The lower the frequency, the deeper it penetrates. In ultrasound treatments, the frequencies used are mostly between 1 and 3 MHz. If the point to be treated is close to the surface, use a 3 MHz frequency treatment head, if it is in deeper tissue, use a 1 MHz head.

Pulse rate

The ultrasound beam can be continuous or pulsed. Use a continuous beam only for chronic complaints. For example, if you’ve been struggling with tennis elbow or Achilles tendonitis for six months, you can use the continuous mode.

For all other conditions, especially acute inflammation, pain and injuries, use the pulsed mode. However, don’t expect such a mode from devices costing a few tens of thousands of dollars, only the better devices provide it.

Pulsating ultrasound means that the device transmits for a certain period of time, followed by a pause. Different diseases and conditions require different beam-to-pause ratios. You can usually find out which one is right for a particular problem in the instructions that come with the device.

The pulse rate is the ratio of the duration of the pulse to the duration of the subsequent pause. For example, 1:3 means that a beam with a duration of 1 time unit is followed by a pause of 3 time units (no ultrasound radiation during this period).

The choice of the correct pulse rate depends crucially on the condition of the tissue to be treated. The more recent the injury, the more sensitive the tissue is to the energy. In fresh disease, the ultrasound pulse should be followed by a longer pause, i.e. a ratio of 1:3 to 1:4 is recommended.

The more recent the disease, the more sensitive the tissue is.

The older the injury, the more the tissues “like” the concentrated energy input. In chronic cases, you can therefore reduce the pulse rate to 1:2, 1:1 or even use continuous (uninterrupted) ultrasound radiation.

A general principle is to use 1:4 or 1:3 for acute complaints, 1:2 or 1:1 for a few days of SUBACUTE complaints, and 1:1 pulsed or continuous ultrasound for chronic lesions.

Treatment intensity

As with the determination of the pulse rate, the ultrasound intensity required for the target tissue depends on the condition of the tissue. The more intense the lesion, the milder the ultrasound beam is sufficient. The longer the condition has been present, the less sensitive it is and therefore the higher the intensity you can use to induce healing. Also, consider that you lose some ultrasound energy if you don’t use enough ultrasound gel.

You can determine the treatment intensity from the table below:

Tissue condition	Required intensity
Acute	0.1 – 0.3 W/cm2
Subacute	0.2 – 0.5 W/cm2
Chronic	0.3 – 0.8 W/cm2

Depth of coverage

The ultrasound is absorbed by the tissue. Its extent varies depending on the thickness and condition of different tissues (e.g. skin, fat, muscle, etc.). It is now generally accepted that 3 MHz treatment can be used to treat superficial lesions closer than 2 cm to the skin surface. If the area to be treated is deeper than this, a 1 MHz treatment head is recommended.

Knowing the absorption is important because the intensity set on the device does not reach deep into the skin. If you want to treat a formula 6cm deep, you need to take absorption into account. In other words, the deeper you want to treat, the higher the intensity you need to set on the device. The table below will help you determine the intensity value to set on your device.

Example: you want to treat an acute lesion 5cm deep. The intensity requirement of the acute tissue is 0.3 W/cm2. In the table, follow the 5cm column until you get to the 0.3W/cm2 row. Here you can see that you need to set your device to an intensity of 0.68 W/cm2 to get an intensity of 0.3W at 5 cm.

	Depth of lesion (cm)
Intensity required	0.5	1	2	3	4	5	6
1.0 W/cm2	1.20	1.40	1.80	1.75	2.00	2.25	2.50
0.9 W/cm2	1.08	1.26	1.62	1.58	1.80	2.03	2.25
0.8 W/cm2	0.96	1.12	1.44	1.40	1.60	1.80	2.00
0.7 W/cm2	0.84	0.98	1.26	1.23	1.40	1.58	1.75
0.6 W/cm2	0.72	0.84	1.08	1.05	1.20	1.35	1.50
0.5 W/cm2	0.60	0.70	0.90	0.88	1.00	1.13	1.25
0.4 W/cm2	0.48	0.56	0.72	0.70	0.80	0.90	1.00
0.3 W/cm2	0.36	0.42	0.54	0.53	0.60	0.68	0.75
0.2 W/cm2	0.24	0.28	0.36	0.35	0.40	0.45	0.50
0.1 W/cm2	0.12	0.14	0.18	0.18	0.20	0.23	0.2

Treatment time

Rule: 1-minute treatment per area corresponding to the size of the treatment head.

Measure the relationship between the ultrasound treatment head and the area to be treated. The larger the area to be treated is compared to the treatment head, the more times 1 minute of treatment is needed. That is, if the area of pain is 5 times the size of the head, treat for 5 minutes; if it is 10 times the size, treat for 10 minutes.

You may overdose on ultrasound treatment, as indicated by your complaints and an increase in pain. If you notice this, reduce the treatment time and intensity.

You may experience adverse effects if you treat an area at too high an intensity and for too long. The main effect of ultrasound comes from heating the tissue. Giving too much to an area at once hinders healing instead of aiding it. Think of it like sun exposure. If you sunbathe regularly for 15-20 minutes, you will slowly tan, but if you lay out for 3-4 hours, you will not tan, you will burn. Ultrasound helps if used properly and in regular doses.

If you’re unsure, consult your doctor or a physiotherapist experienced in ultrasound treatment to determine the right setting for your complaint.

Below you find a summary guide ultrasound dosing guide about the above-mentioned.

combined exercise with muscle stimulation

Sport Tools

How to use muscle stimulation training programs

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-12

There can be a significant difference between muscle stimulations. The effect on the muscle depends on the settings of the impulse. In this article, I will walk you through how to combine exercise and muscle stimulation. Thankfully, with newer devices, you just select the disease (e.g. muscular atrophy, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome) or the treatment goal (pain reduction, oedema reduction, muscle recovery, cramp prevention) from the menu and the device’s program “knows” the correct settings. Nothing needs to be adjusted, yet the most appropriate treatment can be given. Let’s look at the main programmes for athletes.

Briefly on muscle stimulation

Before you start electrically stimulating your muscles, you need to understand that it works completely differently than traditional exercise. You can find it here in more detail: basics of muscle stimulation.

In conventional training, the development of muscle fibres can be controlled by the load dosage. With this method, you can stimulate fast fibres II, for example, to a limited extent. This is because these fibres are only activated when a heavy load is applied – this is under neural control, so you can’t train each fibre type in isolation.

In the case of muscle stimulation, the frequency of the pulses determines the effect of the treatment to the greatest extent (pulse duration and current also play a role). It is, therefore, possible, for example, to hypertrophy the muscles (by stimulating fibres II.b), but this does not improve the condition of fibres I and IIa.

The right mix of training types

A simulation training programme should be designed to adjust the ratio of low frequencies “training” fibre I (endurance strength and aerobic endurance programmes), medium frequencies “specific” to fibre IIa (endurance strength programme) and maximum strength and hypertrophy programmes “tuning” fibre IIb.

If you overdo hypertrophy, muscle mass will increase but endurance, stamina and blood flow will not change, so you will not get performance improvements with more muscle.

However, if you only do endurance programs, the overall condition of the muscle will improve, but not the maximum strength and even more so not the muscle mass.

The correct definition of “mix” is the “science of stimulation”. It depends on the individual muscular endowment and, more importantly, the goals to be achieved.

For example, if you are an endurance athlete, frequent use of a hypertrophy programme will impair endurance (because it will result in an increase in IIb fibres, which are strong but not endurance). However, all IIa and IIb stimulation is also needed by the distance runner, as it will be used to “push” the last few hundred metres of the sprint, for example. If you don’t train the II fibres, there is no end speed-increasing effect either. That is, you can do a steady pace, but not a short acceleration from it.

Training programmes for muscle stimulation

When you buy a sports muscle stimulator, you’ll come across similar program names across all devices. Regarding the training schedule and electrode placement.

Warm-up:

A short-duration program that raises the temperature of the muscle in order to prepare it for exercise. Induces gentle, twitch-like muscle contractions that stimulate blood flow and muscle metabolism, raising the temperature. Muscle and ligament stiffness is reduced. The programme thus develops the ideal physiological muscle and tendon condition for exercise.
In case of injury treatment, it is beneficial to improve blood circulation. Improved circulation brings oxygen and nutrient-rich blood and at the same time removes metabolites and toxins produced by the injury.

Pre-Competition Warm-up:

It is longer lasting and deeper in effect than the PreCompetition Warm-up programme. It should be used a few minutes before the pre-competition warm-up on the muscles most affected by the sport. If you train on a daily basis, use this instead of the “regular” Warm-up.
In case of injury treatment, it is beneficial to improve blood circulation. Improved circulation brings oxygen and nutrient-rich blood while removing metabolites and toxins from the injury.

Capillarisation:

This programme is recommended primarily for endurance sports but is recommended for everyone in the first weeks of physical preparation. In Senzon, use only in endurance sports!
It stimulates blood flow to the muscle, improves oxygenation and reduces fatigue during hard physical work.
Helps activate the primary and secondary capillary system to improve tissue oxygenation and reduce fatigue during hard physical work.

Resistance:

Recommended for endurance sports; improves long-term, high-level muscle endurance, and reduces fatigue by preparing against metabolite formation.
After injury, it starts treatments to regain muscle strength.

Endurance:

Recommended for sports such as kayaking, middle-distance running (800-1500m), and martial arts, where the muscle has to work at maximum effort for a few minutes in an anaerobic (oxygen-deprived) state. It improves the muscle’s ability to exert high levels of effort over long distances; it helps to protect against toxin formation (acidification), reducing fatigue. Long intense muscle contractions are followed by short active rest periods.

Aerobic resistance:

Improves the ability to sustain a given effort over a long period of time. Long-duration stimulation programme adapted to improve the aerobic capacity of slow fibres.
You can use it after injury, but I recommend it if you have already completed 10-14 days of Endurance Strength training.

Hypertrophy:

Can be used to increase muscle mass. The high-frequency pulses result in intense muscle work, which is paramount in increasing the size of muscle fibres. Advantage: it can be focused on an important muscle or muscle group, i.e. you can selectively train the weakest points.
After muscle injury, use this programme only after full recovery.

Maximum strength:

Recommended for those requiring a high level of strength, such as in martial arts. Improves the ability to exert maximum force and increases muscle mass. It also helps to reduce the possibility of trauma during training with maximum weights.
After muscle injury, use this program only after full recovery.

Reactivity:

Optimum for ball games and combat sports. Improves the speed of contraction. Muscle stimulations are short, extremely intense and extremely fast. It acts on reactivity in two ways: by accelerating the contraction of fast fibres and by increasing the activity of myotactic receptors.
After muscle injury, use this program only after full recovery.

Explosive strength:

Used for sports performed at maximum force (e.g. short distance running, jumping and throwing sports, volleyball, etc.). It increases the mass of muscle fibres that can be “deployed” in the shortest possible time and at the highest possible force level.
After muscle injury, use this program only after full recovery.

Muscle Stimulation Training Programs for Rest and Recovery

Studies have shown that regenerative stimulation initiated within 90 minutes of physical activity reduces muscle lactic acid levels by about 25-40%. Perhaps only compression ice massage is more effective. The advantage of muscle stimulation, however, is that it is small and easy to use, so you can simply use it anywhere, anytime, as opposed to the hundreds of thousands of dollars of compression and ice massage machines.

Active recovery: Recommended for all sports, especially recommended for multiple daily workouts. It stimulates muscle recovery, stimulates blood flow and reduces fatigue. It accelerates the flushing of metabolites and lactic acid from the muscles more effectively than traditional resting, allowing the intensity of successive workouts to be maintained at a high level. Particularly recommended for series workloads, such as the break between two halves, and the rest between two wrestling matches.
Post-contest recovery: Longer and therefore more intense than the Active Recovery programme. It is recommended in all sports, after any training or competition. It promotes the flushing of metabolites, helping to overcome muscle fatigue.
Relieving fatigue: This programme can be used whenever you need to rest a muscle that has become stiff from exercise. It provides muscle relaxation and stimulates blood circulation (which helps remove waste products)

How do you choose your treatment programme?

Whatever your goal, do a warm-up program on the muscle group of the highest importance before each workout or competition.

If your goal is to increase endurance, then the

Use the Capillarization, Endurance and Aerobic Endurance programs in your workouts
DO NOT use Hypertrophy, Maximum Strength, or Explosiveness programs because the high-frequency pulses stimulate IIa and IIb (fast) fibres – this improves strength but impairs endurance.

If your goal is to increase strength and muscle mass, and improve your speed and reflexes, then

Use Hypertrophy, Maximum Strength, and Explosiveness in your training.
You should use the Capillarization, Endurance and Aerobic Endurance programs because these low-frequency pulses mainly develop fibre I and to a lesser extent fibre IIa – this improves endurance but does not significantly change muscle mass, maximum strength or explosiveness.

Without exception, after every workout, perform a muscle regeneration treatment on the muscle groups most used during that session!

You can ask me for help in choosing the best equipment for your goals and integrating it into your training plan by e-mail, by writing a comment to this article or even by phone.

Which devices do you find these primers in?

You’ll find them all in the Globus range of devices for athletes. The “Champion” is basically an all-inclusive device. On the other hand, there are dedicated devices for specific sports like running, cycling, triathlon or football.

[message title=”The Champion” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Specific programs for preparation, development, prevention, recovery
90 specific development programs for 11 sports:
- Running, Swimming, Bicycling, Football,
- Skiing, Volleyball, Golf, Fitness sports,
- Triathlon, Skiing, Tennis
Multifunctional electrotherapy device
TENS | EMS, NMES, FES | MENS, MCR | Iontophoresis
Max. 4 channels (8 electrodes)

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[message title=”Cycling Pro” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Multifunctional electrotherapy device
TENS | EMS, NMES, FES | MENS, MCR | Iontophoresis
Max. 4 channels (8 electrodes)

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All of them are multifunctional, i.e. they provide several types of electrotherapy treatments, such as TENS | EMS | MENS | MCR | FES | Iontophoresis currents.

The “basis” of each device is the same. These more than 100 basic programs ensure that you can use it to treat, repair, cure or prevent thousands of problems.

Disease management: pain relief, muscle condition improvement, inflammation reduction, circulation improvement, oedema reduction, incontinence management, deep drug delivery, post-operative rehabilitation
Sport preparation and muscle recovery, injury treatment and prevention programmes
Fitness and fitness programmes. Weight loss support, post-pregnancy recovery
Beauty care by improving muscle condition and skin elasticity. Professional microcurrent skin treatment programmes.

The name “sports” refers to the specific added value of the device, which provides programmes to prepare for competitions in this sport, treating and preventing typical injuries.

Cycling Pro: any discipline of cycling
Runner Pro: for running enthusiasts
Soccer Pro: footballers
Triathlon Pro: triathletes, including swimming, cycling and running
The Champion: for multiple sports (Running, Swimming, Cycling, Football, Skiing, Cross Country, Volleyball, Golf, Martial Arts, Triathlon, Sailing, Tennis

Arthritis treatment with soft laser

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-12

Arthritis is one of the most common musculoskeletal diseases. The term arthritis is a “catch-all” category that includes more than 100 different conditions. The best known are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, but they also include gouty arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and even fibromyalgia. Today, the soft laser is one of the most effective physical therapy modalities for symptomatic relief.

It follows from the above that in some forms of arthritis, arthritis is a consequence of the underlying disease. In gout, rheumatism, and lupus, the most important thing is to treat the underlying disease.

The main symptoms of arthritis are pain, joint stiffness and swelling. Soft laser treatment can reduce and eliminate inflammation. Since most anti-inflammatory drugs cause a number of side effects, it is important to know that soft laser is a medicine and therefore has no side effects. At the very least, it is expected to reduce the need for anti-inflammatory drugs.

Soft laser efficacy studies

The therapeutic effects of lasers are now widely studied. Several research groups have demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects and effectiveness in the treatment of arthritis.

Molina et al. divided patients with arthritis into two groups. One received only a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, while the others received soft laser treatment along with the drug. The group that received both the laser and the medication showed better healing results.

Soriano treated 938 patients with osteoarthritis with soft laser and found that soft laser was more effective in the acute (fresh inflammation) stage than in the chronic stage.

Antipa and colleagues also found that the group that received both medication and a soft laser had better outcomes than those treated with anti-inflammatory therapy alone.

Glazewski treated 224 patients with rheumatoid arthritis with soft laser therapy, which reduced the patients’ need for anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers.

Soft laser treatment of arthritis

Effective soft lasers have only become available for home use in the last 10 years or so. Previously, only clinical applications were possible.

Low-energy, so-called soft laser devices designed for home use are designed to do no “harm”. But it’s important to know how to use them, because if you don’t use them properly, you may not get the results you want.

For skin treatment, buy a device that emits a beam with a wavelength of 808 nanometres. Attention! The 650-660nm devices are cheaper but are ineffective on joints (knees, wrists, hips, spine, shoulders, elbows).

[message title=”B-Cure Classic Soft Laser” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Laser Power Class 1
808 nanometer laser beam
PW (pulsed) laser
250mW power
6 minutes / 5 Joule

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[message title=”Personal Laser L400 Soft Laser” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Laser power class 3
808 nanometer laser beam
CW (continuous wave) laser
400 mW power
12.5 sec / 5 Joule

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Practical advice on treating arthritis with soft lasers

The idea of soft laser treatment is to inject a specific amount of energy into the diseased area. The amount required depends on the disease but is usually between 5 and 7 Joules. The time it takes to deliver this much energy depends on the laser power delivered by the device. A lower-intensity device will deliver the same amount of energy with a longer treatment time.

The laser only works at a certain dose! If you give less than the recommended time, it is not enough to start the beneficial effects, and longer than the recommended time is not good for the cells, it stops the healing. In other words, it is not good to arbitrarily double the treatment time, because this will not improve the effect! Only treat as long as recommended.

It’s also important to check the area of the treatment head. The smaller the treatment head, the more time you will need because you will have to treat more points. If the arthritis is affecting a small joint, such as a knuckle, you may need as little as 5-8 minutes of treatment once. However, if you are treating your knee, for example, you will need to treat it from several directions (3-4 points).

The laser should be delivered directly to the skin. The laser light cannot pass through clothing or bandages, so the treatment will be ineffective!

Soft laser treatment is usually undetectable. The effects take place deep inside the cells and are not immediate. Although the pain may be reduced after the first treatment, it is more likely to take 10-12 days for symptoms to subside, while several treatments a day are needed. Only stop treatment once full recovery has been achieved.

[message title=”EnergyLaser L500 Pro Bluetooth Soft Laser” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Laser power class 3
808 nanometer laser beam
CW (continuous wave) laser
500 mW power
10 sec / 5 Joule
Android app – Bluetooth connection

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Soft laser treatment points for arthritis

Each tissue, joint, and pain has its own irradiation time. That means it makes a difference how long you keep the device in place. Some tissues are more sensitive and need less energy to “get by”, while others need longer exposure (more energy input). In the instructions for the use of the devices, you will find detailed treatment suggestions – with treatment times, intensities, etc. appropriate to the disease.

For pains of arthritis origin, start treatments as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms. Apply 5-7 Joule of energy for each treatment point. For example, if a device has an energy of 1 Joule/cm2, it takes 5 minutes of treatment to apply 5 Joules (more detail on the importance of energy output). In the case of fresh inflammation, treat the area every hour. For chronic complaints, 2-3 treatments are sufficient.

The following pictures and videos show the points where you need to treat (the B-Cure soft laser device is shown in the pictures).

Shoulder arthritis

The area of the shoulder joint and the outside of the upper arm.

Joint pain in the fingers and toes, rheumatoid arthritis

Right and left side of the finger (on each finger, one at a time), the crease between palm and fingers

Knee arthritis, knee pain, knee injury, after knee surgery

Back of the knee, the bend, right and left sides of the knee (possibly below the kneecap)

Selective current stimulation therapy for peripheral paralysis

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-12

The term “selective current stimulation” is a term you hear from doctors and physiotherapists. It is a form of muscle stimulation (EMS) treatment used to address muscles with damaged (denervated) motor nerves, resulting in the absence or partial loss of voluntary muscle movement (peripheral paralysis). Selective stimulation current only stimulates and causes contraction of the muscle in such a diseased muscle (hence the name selective). Let’s look at the essentials of this topic.

What is selective current stimulation treatment?

Selective electrical stimulation is a form of electrotherapy. It can treat denervated muscles, which are muscles that have lost their motor nerve connections.

Several forms of peripheral paralysis cause this type of paralysis: peroneal paralysis, facial nerve paralysis, spinal hernia, nerve injury after spinal fracture, nerve injury during spinal surgery, etc.

Watch out! Some therapists also mistakenly treat paralysis due to stroke with selective stimulation. However, selective stimulation is not good for the stroke patient because it causes an increase in muscle stiffness (in jargon: increases spasticity). The motor nerve of the muscle affected by stroke is healthy (the problem is at the brain junction). Hence, stroke-related paralysis should be treated with “smooth” biphasic square wave muscle stimulation (at low frequency) rather than selective stimulation.

Selective stimulation is selective in that it acts on the denervated (lower motor neuron damaged) muscles! The denervated impulse is too long to treat healthy muscles. Selective stimulation of healthy muscle is unpleasant, even painful, and has little effect.

Selective electrical stimulation involves applying a milliampere (mA) electrical pulse through an electrode (which can be self-adhesive, metal or rubber) to the skin and causing the muscle to contract. The shape of the pulse can be triangular, trapezoidal or square wave. The frequency, intensity and duration of the contraction can be controlled to determine how much the contraction grips the muscle bundle, at what speed and at what frequency.

You can focus the treatment on a specific muscle or muscle group, limiting its effect to those areas.

“Normally” muscle contraction is caused by an electrical signal from your brain. During the stimulation current treatment, the muscle receives similar artificial impulses.

In both cases, it contracts by exactly the same mechanism, the same metabolic processes take place in it, and it tires in exactly the same way.

Treatment of a muscle that has lost its motor nerve

This is the application of selective stimulation current. Treating a denervated muscle with selective stimulation current on a daily basis enhances the likelihood of its recovery.

Those who do not receive regular stimulation in current treatment improve little or significantly more slowly. With stimulation, there is a real chance of regeneration and “re-growth” of the nerves.

You need to know that nerve pathways regenerate extremely slowly. Even under optimal conditions of continuous stimulation, they grow at a maximum of 1 mm per day. If you have a nerve injury during a spinal operation, for example, the nerve can grow from the spine to the toes by 70-80 cm, which means that it takes at least 7-800 days to fully regenerate. And in the meantime, you need to stimulate it every day. Without it, the muscle that has lost its motor nerve will atrophy, and in about two years it will turn into a gelatinous mass from which there is no return. Stimulation can keep the muscle tissue alive until the nerve reaches the muscle again.

Stimulation has the very important “ability” to “retrain” the neuromuscular (nerve-muscle) connection. According to some studies, the brain and the motor neurons that run from the brain to the muscles need at least 10,000 (ten thousand) repetitions to relearn how to perform a movement. Stimulation can significantly expedite the process of relearning muscles that have become nonfunctional after paralysis.

Specific devices for denervated muscle treatment

I should mention here that not all muscle stimulator devices are suitable for stimulating a peripheral nerve injury or, in other technical terms, a denervated (lost its innervation) muscle. You can treat a healthy muscle with a motor nerve using a biphasic square wave, but a denervated muscle does not respond to this type of stimulation. Instead, you can make it contract with a long-duration pulse, known as a triangular or trapezoidal pulse. Treatment for peripheral paralysis has a “nice arc”. They usually start with a triangular pulse, then as the nerve renegades, they slowly move to a trapezoidal pulse and finally to a square pulse.

[message title=”PeroBravo stimulator for denervated muscle treatment ” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

All phases in the treatment of peroneal palsy
Stimulation of denervated muscles in general
Stimulation of muscles with intact nervous control – either biphasic or monophasic EMS
Pain therapy (TENS) with biphasic or monophasic pulses

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Stimulation of muscles with healthy innervation

If the nerve fiber running to the muscle is preserved (even in the case of a stroke), there is no requirement for selective stimulus current. A biphasic square wave for muscle stimulation is suitable for this purpose.

An important difference is also the pulse duration. In treating denervated muscle, a pulse duration of 200-900 milliseconds (almost a second) is employed, whereas for healthy muscle, a much shorter pulse duration of a thousandth of a second (microsecond) is utilized.

Conditions that strictly prohibit its use

People should not use selective stimulation current -nor any other electrotherapy treatment- in the case of an implanted pacemaker or defibrillator, acute thrombosis, tumour, epilepsy, or infectious disease. They should exercise caution when using it during pregnancy and menstruation. Read more about contraindications here.

Is it possible to use selective stimulation current therapy at home?

A mere 10-15 years ago, such devices were only available in hospitals. To use them, you needed a specialist who could adjust the waveform, frequency, pulse duration, rise and fall times, current intensity, etc. according to the type and size of the disease and muscle, and the treatment goal.
Today, selective stimulation current devices are available that you can use in your home to perform the treatment yourself.

Of course, which program to use and on which muscles are up to your physiotherapist. Also when you can switch to another type of treatment.

Electrical Muscle Stimulation aka EMS

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-12

EMS, or electrical muscle stimulation, has been used for decades to train athletes. In this article, we will take a look at what the muscle stimulator is for, how it works, and how to use it.

What is electrical muscle stimulation (EMS)?

EMS or Electrical Muscle Stimulation, is used to treat the so-called striated muscles that provide voluntary movement. It does not (substantially) affect the smooth muscles of the muscles of the spine.

Muscle stimulation involves the delivery of a milliampere (mA) electrical pulse through an electrode attached to the skin to the muscle, which contracts. You can determine the type of contraction, the fibres to be contracted, and the number of fibres involved by adjusting the pulse’s frequency, intensity, and duration. The pulse’s adjustment influences the resulting effect.

You can focus the stimulation on a specific muscle or muscle group, focusing its effect on those muscles. This is why it serves as a supplement, not a substitute for exercise.

Typically, an electrical signal from your brain initiates muscle contraction. With muscle stimulation, the muscle receives similar artificial impulses. There is no difference between the tension and the impulse from the brain. In both cases, it contracts by exactly the same mechanism, the same metabolic processes take place in it, and it fatigues, acidifies, and ruptures filaments in exactly the same way.

Muscle capabilities improve through repetitive muscle work implying that muscle stimulation will achieve similar outcomes.

What does electrical stimulation do better?

When you voluntarily move, the brain’s regulatory systems deliver the contraction, a principle described by Hennemann’s rule.

This means that during a contraction, small muscles contract first, followed by larger muscles. Type I fibres are initially stimulated within the muscle bundle, followed by type IIa and finally type IIb fibres.

It is also true that the brain “spares” each voluntary contraction, i.e. it does not allow all the fibres to contract at the same time. That’s why stress or danger amplifies the force; an adrenaline rush is released into your bloodstream, deactivating the reserve.

Electric muscle stimulation bypasses this “economy of effort” system. There is almost no limit to the number of fibres that can be activated. Therefore, EMS can activate muscle fibres in much larger quantities. Even with stimulation, achieving a complete 100% contraction is not possible, as some muscle fibres are always in a “refractory” phase, unable to contract due to previous contractions.

Another important capability of electrical muscle stimulation is the “teaching” of the neuromuscular (nerve-muscle) connection. According to some studies, the brain and the motor neurons that run from the brain to the muscles need at least 10,000 (ten thousand) repetitions to learn how to perform a movement most quickly and efficiently. This is why athletes repeat and refine a movement endlessly. Stimulation can significantly speed up the optimisation of muscle function.

You may have experienced that after an injury, the right movements have to be relearned and “memorised”. Muscle stimulation is also an excellent way to “relearn” optimal movement coordination.

Certain conditions forbid the use of muscle stimulation

Do not use electric muscle stimulation if you have an implanted pacemaker or defibrillator, acute thrombosis, tumours, epilepsy, or infectious diseases. Exercise caution during pregnancy and menstruation. Read more about contraindications here.

Applications of muscle stimulators

For Athletes at home

Professional and amateur athletes, as well as individuals with musculo-articular disorders, can utilize muscle stimulation, but their needs differ.

Amateur athletes train relatively less, so the main uses of muscle stimulation are injury prevention, gaining passive training time and accelerating muscle recovery.

For professional athletes, the main application is to accelerate muscle recovery, prevent overuse injuries, stimulate the fastest possible recovery from injury and gain better results through training.

Muscle stimulators for athletes

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2-channel electrotherapy device
multifunctional, versatile
Built-in programs around pain relief, muscle strength development
TENS | EMS, NMES, FES
sport applications

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[message title=”Runner Pro” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Multifunctional electrotherapy device
Dedicated sports programs for runners
TENS | EMS, NMES, FES | MENS, MCR | Iontophoresis
max. 4 channels (8 electrodes)

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For recovery at home

You can apply muscle stimulation to numerous muscle or joint conditions. Thus, muscle atrophy, various forms of paralysis (Bell’s palsy, ALS, multiple sclerosis, stroke, spinal cord injury), post-operative strength recovery and recovery acceleration are the main areas. These are separate topics, I will deal with them in another paper.

Explore articles on muscle stimulation for various medical conditions like Bell’s palsy, Lumbago, Sciatica, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Trigeminal Neuralgia and Piriformis treatment.

Muscle stimulators for treatments

[message title=”PeroBravo Electrotherapy Device” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Denervated treatment – triangle, trapezoidal, square wave
Healthy muscle treatment – biphasic square wave
ETS (EMG based) – biofeedback triggered stimulation
Time/intensity (i/t) testing support
Gait relearning function with foot sensor (peroneal palsy)

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[message title=”Genesy Pro 300″ title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Recovery after ACL surgery
Swollen ankles
Functional recovery
Severe incontinence
Quadriceps atrophy

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If you want to learn how to use muscle stimulators, find my article here.

Basics of muscle stimulation

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-07

Muscle stimulation involves the device sending an electrical impulse to the muscle, causing it to contract. The stimulation’s quality, strength and effect depend mainly on its frequency, duration and intensity (current). In this article, I will explain how muscle stimulation works, why it is effective and what is it used for.

Voluntary muscle contraction

You can make your striated muscles contract involuntarily. An electrical impulse from the motor centre of your brain triggers the process. It arrives at the muscle’s “motor point”, the point where the motor nerve reaches the muscle bundle.

The signal from the brain is just the “trigger”, or initiator of the process. However, muscle contraction itself is a complex biochemical process in which the molecules actin, myosin and titin in the muscle fibre move relative to each other and this causes the muscle to shorten and relax. This is an energy-intensive process, provided by adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is produced in the cells either aerobically (in the presence of oxygen) or anaerobically (in the absence of oxygen). The raw materials for energy production are carbohydrates and fats, and ATP is produced when these are “burned”.

During an anaerobic or inert state, the body produces ATP through its own energy production processes.

Muscle contraction induced by an electric pulse

During muscle stimulation, the machine triggers muscle contraction by sending an electrical impulse to the muscle’s point of movement.

But for the muscle, it makes no difference whether the contraction is triggered by a signal from the brain or from an electrical device! Both produce exactly the same response in the muscle, the contraction takes place in exactly the same way, the same metabolic processes take place, they fatigue in exactly the same way.

It has been shown that repetitive muscle contractions trigger adaptation, i.e. regular muscle movement causes the body to build muscle and optimise muscle properties. Since the contractions produced by muscle stimulation are indistinguishable from natural contractions, their effects are exactly the same.

Regulation of muscle function

Your muscles are entirely under brain control. According to the principle described by Henneman, when a movement is performed, first the smaller muscles contract, then the larger muscles, and within the muscle bundle, first the slow (type I), then the intermediate (type IIa), and finally, if the amount of force required demands it, the superfast (type IIb) fibres.

By lifting a small amount of weight, you can only “poke” your I. fibres. However, these do not give you “mass”, only stamina. If you biceps with a five-kilo weight as an adult male, you can do this exercise a thousand times over, but the circumference of your arms will change by a few millimetres at most.

The muscle mass is mainly provided by the fast fibres, including the IIb (super-strength) fibres. However, they only come into play when you need to exert more than 80% of your maximum effort. If we go back to the previous example and assume you can lift 50kg in one repetition with your biceps (max strength), then to significantly increase your biceps mass you need to work with weights greater than 40kg.

You cannot exceed the muscle size limit at will. Brain regulation will not allow you to contract only your IIb fibers, for example. That’s why bodybuilders, for example, do sets with low reps but maximum weights to develop muscle.

You can stimulate the muscle stimulator directly at the motor point of the muscle, bypassing the brain “restriction.”

Motor neurons supply different fibers at different speeds. With a pulse of the right frequency range, you can therefore contract the IIb fibres without heavy weight! It can be a huge help if the strength and mass of a muscle is not developing at the desired rate. With the muscle stimulator, you can create a strong contraction that cannot be created voluntarily, precisely because of the regulatory system. This is not just me saying this, but also the athletes I have shown the “real” muscle stimulation.

Application of muscle stimulation

The muscle stimulator is a smart device that has a lot of uses.

The effect of the treatment depends on the settings of the treatment programme. It is not the same for relaxation and muscle gain. You can achieve both with muscle stimulation, but in a different way.

It’s just like cutlery. We have coffee forks, tea forks, soup forks, soup spoons, meat forks, dessert forks. Knives for roasts, steaks, fish, desserts. Special tools for cracking crab, mussels, snails. And there’s more. You can’t do with a spoon what you can’t do with a knife. And you can’t do with a knife what you can do with a fork! They’re all cutlery, but they’re all for different things.

A muscle stimulator is like that, a real “toolbox”. Depending on what you want to do, you will need to start a different tool, i.e. a different program.

The effect may vary depending on the stimulation pulse settings. To understand why, you need to know a few things about the fibres and motor nerves that make up your muscles.

Types of muscle fibres

Your striated muscles are composed of three types of muscle fibers, and their ratios are determined by genetics. As per current knowledge, you cannot transform these fibers into one another, and it is from this inherent set of fibers that you must maximize the benefits of your training and stimulation. If you have a predominance of slow fibers, you are better suited for endurance sports, while if fast fibers dominate, you are better suited for short-duration, high-impact activities.

Type I fibre

These fibers are known as “slow-contracting” or simply slow fibers. The motor nerve (motoneuron) that runs to these fibers has a low conduction velocity, and you can stimulate them with a low-frequency pulse, typically between 1-50Hz.
Slow fibres are surrounded by an abundant capillary network, which gives them their red colour. They are capable of sustained, continuous, moderate exertion while producing their own energy to function (oxidative metabolism)
Fibre I fatigue is extremely low.
If you stimulate this type of fiber, you can improve endurance. You’ll need it for running, cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, etc.

Fibre type IIa

Also called type IIb fast fibre or intermediate fibre.
They have properties intermediate between type I and type IIb fibres. Their motoneuron speed is faster than that of slow fibers, and you can stimulate them with a pulse in the medium frequency range (50-70Hz).
They can produce energy aerobically as well as anaerobically (both oxidative and glycolytic). With appropriate stimulation, their capabilities can be “shifted” in one direction (slow or superfast)
Fibers II are capable of rapid and sustained contraction (lasting several minutes) at low energy input.
Stimulation of this type of fibre can increase strength and endurance, which you need in sports requiring a few minutes of near-maximal effort. For example, martial arts, kayaking, rowing, crossfit, etc.

Type IIb fibre

Superfast and strong fibre IIb is stimulated by a phasic motoneuron, which is high speed, so it can be stimulated with extremely fast pulses (80-120Hz)
The fibres are white, due to their high glycogen and glycolytic enzyme content.
Their contraction is fast and strong, but lasts up to 1 minute, although they are capable of an extraordinary effort.
The fibres are extremely fatigue-resistant due to the almost complete absence of mitochondria. They cannot produce energy when they are working, so they can only function for as long as their “stores” are sufficient.
If you stimulate these fibres, you will benefit from them in sports requiring maximum strength and explosiveness. Such as weightlifting, running less than 400m, throwing, jumping, etc.

What does the effect of muscle stimulation depend on?

There are three main characteristics of the muscle stimulation pulse. You can get the best results by adjusting these correctly.

Frequency

Specifies the number of pulses per second.

The effect of stimulation depends on the frequency

As mentioned above, the excitation of different muscle fibre types is provided by motoneurons with different speeds. Knowing this, you can precisely set the frequency to develop slow fibres or fast fibres.

Low frequencies improve endurance, medium frequencies improve endurance, and high frequencies improve explosiveness and muscle mass. Likewise, you have the right frequency range to improve muscle blood flow or reduce muscle stiffness, etc.

1 – 50 Hz – capillarisation, improve blood circulation, relieve muscle stiffness (relaxation), improve endurance strength, stimulate collagen production (beauty treatment)
50 – 70 Hz – endurance strenght
80 – 100 Hz – strength increase, maximum strength
100 – 120 Hz – speed, explosiveness, hypertrophy (mass increase)

Low frequencies create distinct “twitches” in the muscle, while at high frequencies these twitches “fuse” into a single powerful contraction (a bit like what you feel when you have a muscle spasm)

It may be obvious from this, for example, that if your muscles are spasming, you are not using a high frequency (because that will further increase the ability to spasm), but a low frequency, which will have a relaxing effect.

Pulse duration

The unit of measurement for pulse duration is the microsecond (millionth of a second). In stimulation terminology, pulse duration is often referred to as amplitude, although technically, amplitude pertains to the height of the wave, and in this context, it is referred to as temporal extent.

At ozonic current intensities, the longer the pulse duration, the more muscle fibres contract.

Each muscle has an optimal pulse duration. The upper limbs require 150-250 ms, the lower limbs 350-450 ms, and the trunk 250-350 ms.

The more fibres in a muscle, the longer the pulse duration required for a complete contraction. If the amplitude is too short, only a small number of muscle fibres will contract, or only under high current intensity, which is painful.

The correct ratio of intensity to pulse duration (amplitude) helps to achieve optimal contraction and at the same time painlessness.

Intensity

Pulse intensity is actually the current intensity of the pulse. Most devices allow you to adjust it from 1 to 120 mA.

You can induce a contraction with a short, high-intensity pulse alone. The higher intensity will cause more muscle fibres to contract, but at the same time the high current can cause severe pain.

High-quality stimulators use the right combination of current intensity and pulse duration to ensure that as many fibres as possible contract at lower current intensities.

The intensity required for stimulation varies from individual to individual and from treatment to treatment. It also depends on the position of the electrodes, the thickness of the fatty tissue, sweating, the hair on the treated surface and other characteristics.

The same current intensity can produce different sensations from day to day. Even within a treatment, the intensity should be constantly controlled to maintain the same level of contraction.

Do not go above the pain threshold during warm-up, endurance, capillarization, or regeneration (usually low-frequency) treatments! Medium, well-tolerated, visible twitch-inducing pulses are appropriate.

In contrast, when developing strength, muscle mass, and explosiveness, it is worth constantly adjusting the intensity of the impulse to the pain threshold. This will give much more efficient and faster results.

Positioning the electrodes

Accuracy of positioning

The placement of electrodes is essential for effective muscle stimulation. You may feel clueless when you first try a muscle stimulator. But fear not, despite the complete lack of accuracy, the treatment still works! However, understanding a few basic principles of placement will be an important aid to using stimulation correctly. However, if perfection is your goal, buy a motor point pencil. This will help you to map the exact point where the muscle-motor nerve meets. Once you have that, there’s nothing to stop you from getting the perfect treatment.

Where to place the electrodes on the muscle

Place one of the electrodes on the part of the muscle that bulges the most. It is also known as the active electrode because it aligns with the motor point where the motor nerve enters the muscle.

Place the “inactive” electrode at the muscle’s end. Both electrodes should stay on the fleshy part of the muscle! From where the muscle continues into the tendon, there are no nerve endings. Tighten the muscle you want to treat and feel all the way through. Determine how far it is “soft” and where it goes into a tendon. Place the electrodes only on the muscle.

High-quality devices come with diagrams showing electrode placement. If you “copy” the below, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. But feel free to experiment! Move one electrode left and right, up and down a few mm and observe the effect. You’ll soon find out which is the most effective point.

The imaginary line connecting the pair of electrodes should follow the direction of the muscle fibres. This is usually parallel to the direction of pull of the muscle. If you place the electrodes crosswise instead of this way, the muscle will twitch and you may feel cramping pain. This is because the current exiting the electrodes forms a closed circuit on the muscle and hits several nerves at once.

Locate in the direction of the muscle fibres. Properly closing the circuit reduces the resistance encountered by the electric current. This is important to maintain a strong contraction and also improves your sense of comfort.

The intensity of the stimulators

Professional muscle stimulator users usually raise the current to the limit of tolerance, well below their pain threshold. Tension passing through the skin triggers the pain.

Run a warm-up program first, because you can then treat with higher current (more intensity). Warming up stimulates blood flow to the muscles, and more blood (fluid) reduces resistance. With lower resistance, a lower current is sufficient for the effect. If the voltage is low, you will feel little to no “pain”. In simpler terms, warming up allows you to withstand higher intensity due to decreased tissue resistance, improving the effectiveness of muscle stimulation.

Muscle stimulators

You can achieve the following with some of these devices:

[message title=”Elite SII – For amateur athletes” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

- 2-channel (4 electrodes) electrotherapy device
- For amateur athletes
- Muscle development and injury treatment

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[message title=”Premium 400 – For professionals” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

- For professional athletes, masseurs, and trainers
- max. 4 channels (8 electrodes)
- Extensive sport and fitness programs
- Some dedicated programs for specific sports (running, football, cycling, etc)

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In addition, to muscle stimulation devices that provide most of the recovery, strength aspects of treatments, there are sport-specific ones on the market (football, running, triathlon):

[message title=”Cycling Pro – Programs optimised for cyclists” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

- High-end device
- 46 programs optimised for cyclists
- max. 4 channels (8 electrodes)
- Dedicated programs cover recovery, warmup, strength and all other aspects

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Ultrasound Treatment Essentials

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-06

Ultrasound treatment is an effective popular and frequently used method in physiotherapy practice to relieve musculoskeletal pain and even (for example) to cure inflammation. When you hear the word ultrasound, you might think of ultrasound scans for pregnancy or abdominal complaints, but they are not just used for diagnostic purposes.

What is ultrasound?

Sound is a mechanical vibration.

Sound waves with a vibration frequency of less than 20 Hz are infrasound (you can’t hear them),
Sounds between 20 and 20,000 Hz are those that are audible to the human ear,
above 20,000 Hz we are talking about ultrasound – you can’t hear these vibrations either.

Medical applications of ultrasound

Ultrasound has been used in medicine since 1938. Today it is used for diagnostic, surgical and therapeutic purposes. Excellent (among other things)

for gallstone and gallstone extraction,
for “cutting” tissue (as a surgical knife),
ultrasonic inhalation (e.g., in drug nebulizers and salt therapy devices),
for the removal of tartar (in dentistry),
diagnosis (for example, examination of internal organs or even of a developing foetus in utero),
in physiotherapy, for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and to reduce inflammation.

The effects of ultrasound treatment

relaxes tight, stiff muscles,
beneficial in the case of arthritis, muscle inflammation and wear and tear,
helps to relieve haematomas,
reduces inflammatory processes (e.g. tendonitis and tendonitis),
relieves nerve root pain caused by herniated discs, lumbar sprains and sciatica (reduces oedema around the root),
relieves neuritic complaints,
improves lymphatic circulation, etc.

How does ultrasound treatment work?

The ultrasound beam is a mechanical vibration. The tissue through which it passes receives the vibration. This is called micromassage.

The vibration of the tissue (i.e. mechanical energy) is converted into thermal energy. The tissues are warmed up, their blood circulation is accelerated, which is also a direct way to enhance the healing process. Heat also has a tendon and muscle relaxant, analgesic and vasodilator effect.

Three types of beneficial effects of ultrasound are also used in treatment:

the mechanical effect inducing micro-massage,
the thermal effect, i.e. the warming of tissues, the stimulation of blood and lymph circulation and the healing process,
and chemical action to improve oxygenation and vasodilation.

To summarise: it is not the ultrasound beam itself that heals, but the effect of the ultrasound beam that triggers and activates the body’s self-healing processes. The ultrasound beam is to the disease as when you push the stationary swing – it gets going. So ultrasound treatment triggers the positive processes and your body “takes care of the rest”.

Don’t underestimate it! Think how powerful these processes are: if you break a bone, all the doctors do is fix it. You don’t get medicine, and there’s no doctor near you, but weeks later you’re healed. That’s how your body deals with infections and inflammation if you help it! Ultrasound helps with this.

What can you use ultrasound for?

Ultrasound treatment can address conditions like osteoarthritis, muscle sprains, sports injuries, tendon adhesions, tendon sheath lesions, bone growths, and tendon shrinkage, among others. It has a variety of uses in addition to healing.
Click here to read more about the applications of ultrasound

Can ultrasound treatment be harmful?

You can overdose on ultrasound treatment. There can also be adverse effects if you treat an area at too high an intensity and for too long. The main effect of ultrasound comes from heating up the tissue. If too much is given to an area at once, it stops healing rather than helping it. Think of it like sun exposure. If you sunbathe regularly for 15-20 minutes, you will slowly tan, but if you go outside for 3-4 hours at a time, you will not tan, you will burn. Ultrasound, used in appropriate and regular doses, helps.

Some tissues (e.g., eyeballs, testicles, ovaries, thyroid) should not undergo treatment. Before using ultrasound therapy, gain proper knowledge about suitable dosing, consult your doctor to determine the most appropriate treatment intensity, time, and frequency! For dosing rules for ultrasound treatment, see my article on this topic

Microcurrent treatment in practice

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-06

Microcurrent (MCR) treatment is an electrotherapy treatment. Its main uses are pain relief and treatment of arthritis or tendonitis. It can also be used for a range of other purposes, which you can read about here. I will now show you what is needed for microcurrent treatment and how to perform it.

The painkiller trap

Does your shoulder ache, your back hurt? Wrist or knee pain won’t let up? Tortured tennis elbow? Doctors usually recommend the same thing: “take painkillers”! Most advertisements and patient information sites “push” the same message.

Painkillers are symptomatic. They relieve the pain for a few hours, but as they have no curative effect, they do not cure the disease itself. As the drug breaks down, the pain returns.

Taking them for several weeks at a time will almost certainly have undesirable consequences. Gastrointestinal complaints, stomach acidosis, stomach ulcers, stomach bleeding in severe cases, or damage to white blood cells can all impair the body’s defences against disease. According to recent data, regular use of painkillers quadruples the risk of cardiac death and stroke.

If you have a persistent condition that causes your pain, look for a solution that reduces the need for medication, relieves your pain and helps the condition to heal, rather than a symptomatic treatment.

Microcurrent therapy (MCR) is just such a method!

The electrical pulse increases the production of ATP, or energy, in the cell. Energy (ATP) is needed to get the substances needed for healing through the cell wall and to start regeneration. So more energy stimulates cellular function, which results in a faster healing and regeneration process. Read more about microcurrent here.

Components for microcurrent treatment

You cannot use MCR in the presence of an implanted pacemaker or defibrillator, which are absolute contraindications. Do not use over the skull, thyroid or heart. Otherwise, you can use it on any part of your body. For general contraindications to electrotherapy,

Wash the area you want to treat with lukewarm, soapy water before treatment. Oily skin reduces the adhesion of the electrode pins and impairs signal transmission. In heavily furred areas, the treatment may not work because the hairs prevent the pulse from reaching the skin. Unfortunately, there is no other way, at least you have to remove the hair from the electrode sites.

To get the treatment, you need a microcurrent treatment device and self-adhesive TENS electrodes (also known as electrode pins).

A microcurrent device is a small device.
Through the self-adhesive electrodes, the impulses emitted by the device are transmitted to the body and nerve endings. The more expensive (better quality) electrodes deliver the pulses more effectively to the skin and this results in faster and longer-lasting pain relief and less treatment discomfort.

Only a few devices currently provide true microcurrent treatments. Check the minimum adjustable current on the device. If it is 1 milliAmpere (=1000 microAmpere), the device is not microcurrent. The effective range of microcurrent is between 50-800 microAmps. Only devices in this range have microcurrent therapeutic effects.

For the below practical treatments, I will be using Globus Triathlon as it has built-in microcurrent programs.

[message title=”Globus Triathlon Pro Multi-Functional Electro-Therapy unit ” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Built-in microcurrent programs such as piriformis and sciatica, etc.
Additional triatlon-related warmup, recovery and strength exercises
multifunctional electrotherapy device
TENS | EMS, NMES, FES | MENS, MCR | Iontophoresis
max. 4 channels (8 electrodes)

[/message]

Practical implementation of microcurrent treatment

Overview

Pull out the device, patient lead or leads. For Globus devices, the grey cable should be used for microcurrent treatment; microcurrent does not work with coloured cables.
(2.) This is how the cables should be plugged in.
The Globus devices provide microcurrent treatment on two channels (1-3).
Each cable requires 2 self-adhesive electrodes
Sit down in your armchair, get comfortable
Connect one end of the cable to the device
Connect the electrodes to the other end of the cable
Pull the electrode off the plastic sheet and stick it to your skin

Electrode placement

A general rule is to stick the electrodes around the painful area and not on the most painful spot.

One electrode is not enough for the treatment, you need a minimum of one pair. Electrodes connected to the two ends of the cable “travel” the electrical impulses between them.

The electrodes should not touch each other and should always be at least 2-3 cm apart. A distance of up to 20 cm between the two electrodes is not good.

The manufacturer usually provides some diagrams of the device. Below you can see some of these electrode placement suggestions for common complaints.

You don’t have to be rigid in insisting that you place the electrodes in exactly these spots. Take your own complaint into account, because you may be hurting a little further forward, backwards, upward, or downward.

Position the electrode so that the current running between the pair of electrodes “passes through” the most painful area.

Example electrode placement points

Find the positions where you feel the treatment is most effective below. Moreover, use the above electrode placement chart to see where you need to place the electrodes.

Neck pain treatment points and electrode placement	Shoulder pain treatment points and electrode placement
Lower back pain	Elbow pain
Sciatica	Sciatica
Hip pain	Muscle pain
Knee pain	Ankle pain

Start of the treatment

When the electrodes are in place, turn the device on.
Select the appropriate program from the menu and press “OK”
For Globus electrostimulators, you can select a complaint or condition from a list and the device will automatically set the optimal parameters.

On the Start subtitle, press “OK”. You will see the text “Adjust intensity”
Press the FEL arrow (left side) for channel 1 once and the display will show the set current (in microAmps) and the program running clock will start to rotate.

For microcurrent programs, press the intensity button only once to actually start the treatment.
The appliance allows you to modify the current intensity, but this is a feature for the competent. If you’re not familiar with it, don’t adjust the set value, as this could immediately “ruin” the treatment. Although you will only do so much damage, the expected effect may not be achieved.
Microcurrent programs (also) work at a current set by medical experts, so trust them. You don’t have to figure out a different setting.

Microcurrent treatment is not known by most people. It’s no coincidence since amperage is part of the millionth of an ampere. This is the order of magnitude of the potential between the two sides of a cell membrane. That is why it can affect the way cells work. Once the programmed time has elapsed, the treatment stops. For microcurrent treatments, you can extend the treatment time, but never shorten it.

Microcurrent treatment triggers your body’s inflammation healing processes. To maintain this, you need to repeat the treatments. Don’t skip days between treatments because the healing process will be interrupted.

Keep up the microcurrent treatment steadily, with at least one session a day until you are healed, and up to 3-4 sessions for more severe complaints.

Mistakes to avoid when doing microcurrent treatment

Globus devices provide microcurrent treatment on 2 channels and require specially shielded cables. The grey-coloured cables supplied with the unit should be used and plugged into outputs 1 and 3 (first and third from the left) of the unit.

Electrode fault message indicates that

you are not using a grey cable,
you are not plugging the cable into channels 1-3,
your circuit is not closed, i.e. the cables are not connected to self-adhesive electrodes and the electrodes are not glued to the skin.

Microcurrent treatment works only with self-adhesive electrodes. With microcurrent, the current is not adjustable. Microcurrent is one-millionth of an ampere of current, which most people don’t sense – but it works nonetheless.

How long does it take to take effect?

It is affected by age, nutrition, nature of the complaint, duration of the complaint, and condition. Obviously, a recent sprain may have a quicker effect than a hip sprain that has been going on for years. For example, a tennis elbow and a pulled muscle are completely different – if you have two of these complaints at the same time, you will get different results.

The pain-relieving effects of microcurrent therapy can be noticed even during the first treatment. However, it usually starts after 5-10 treatments and you should continue until the pain is completely gone.

In cases of long-standing complaints, it is common for first treatments to cause a marked increase in pain and therefore to be stopped in a panic.

There is no need to be alarmed. All it indicates is that the treatment has had a very good effect. It has “flushed out” from the treated area the toxins that were produced during the old inflammation and could not leave on their own. It is the release of toxins (poisons) that causes the pain.

After 3-4 treatments, the pain-relieving effects will wear off and only the beneficial ones will remain. If your pain is still increasing after 4-5 days, however, stop and see your doctor, as the treatment may not be right for you because of some other underlying condition.

Microcurrent treatments for chronic inflammation such as tennis elbow, rotator cuff inflammation, Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, etc., will give noticeable results after about 40-50 treatments. Persistent microcurrent treatment will help your body’s healing process to overcome the inflammation and get rid of the complaint.

The healing effects of magnetotherapy

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-06

Magnetotherapy is an integral part of physiotherapy treatments in Western medicine. It is one of the most commonly used methods of complex therapy for musculoskeletal disorders affecting the bones, joints and tendons. In recent years, it has fallen into disuse in this country, thanks to the ‘scammers’ who have conned many people by offering magnetotherapy as a panacea for everything. It is time to set the record straight: clinical studies have shown that magnetotherapy has beneficial effects, but not for all diseases! For musculoskeletal disorders, their use is proven and absolutely recommended.

History of magnetotherapy

Magnetism is not an invention of today’s doctors, physiotherapists and naturopaths. The Chinese used magnetic stones to harmonise meridians 3,500 years ago, Cleopatra slept with a magnetic headband at night in Egypt, and Hippocrates and Aristotle wrote about it in praise. In the 1400s, Paracelcus called the magnet a miracle of medicine, “the like of which cannot be found far or near.” Franz Anton Mesmer, a German physician in the 18th century, called magnetism the harmony of the life force.

The use of electricity, and thus electromagnets, began in the 19th century, but did not last long as medicine began to favour the newly emerging synthetic medicines. From the 1960s, however, magnetism began to be used again. The main reason for this was that people began to realise that taking drugs regularly can have a lot of side effects and that it is worthwhile to favour methods that do not have side effects wherever possible.

More recently, the medical science of medicine has been moving towards the 1960s.

The Swiss Eugen Konrad Müller and the American Harold Saxton Burr realised that the essential life processes of the body are electromagnetic in nature. Research into electromagnetism is ongoing. Robert O. Becker, a bone surgeon at the State University of New York, was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1980. His research has demonstrated that electromagnetic treatment can accelerate and improve the healing of bone fractures.

About magnetism in general

The human body has both a unique electric field and magnetic “radiation”. Its value is constant in men and rises sharply in women during follicular rupture.

The cosmic magnetic fields of the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth, as well as the technical force fields of electrical appliances and mobile phone antennas, affect your body. The forces generated by electrical equipment can disrupt the functioning of your body. The effects of electrical pollution, electrosmog, are not well understood today, but they are probably not beneficial.

Some indicative data on the magnitude of the magnetic force: the Earth’s magnetic field is about. In MRI scans, a magnetic field of 10 000 – 30 000 Gauss (=1-3 Tesla) is used.

The Earth’s magnetic field is approximately 0.5 G (Gauss), while the magnets used in industry are between 300 and 5000 G.

It has been proven that every cell in our body actively responds to magnetism and this is also used in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans.

Magnetic fields can be weak (up to 0.001-10mT), medium (10mT-1000mT) and strong (above 1000mT). Weak magnetic fields include the Earth’s magnetic field, which has only a weak effect on human tissues. Medium magnetic forces cause temporary morphological and functional changes in the body. Persistently strong magnetic fields have genetic damage (they are not even used in medicine).

Magnetic field strength is now expressed in Tesla, the old unit being Gauss. This is why some devices still use the Gauss (1 Gauss = 0.1 mT). Magnetotherapy devices operate in the medium strength range.

Magnetotherapy is the application of the healing power of magnetic fields

Pulsed magnetotherapy is based on a low-intensity, low-frequency, pulsed electromagnetic field. It is completely harmless to the body. Because the intensity and frequency of the magnetic fields are constantly changing (pulsating), the body does not become accustomed to the stimulus.A mat, cloth, or pillow with coils inside, through which an electric current passes, provides the treatment. This generates the magnetic field.

Magnetic therapy has a biostimulant effect. It is not the magnetism itself that heals, but the energy production and regeneration processes of the cells and tissues in the magnetic field that are “boosted”

The magnetic field helps cells to function more efficiently. It speeds up the transport of nutrients and oxygen and the elimination of waste products. Electromagnetism increases tissue oxygenation, lowers blood pressure and pulse rate, improves bone formation and strengthens connective tissues, provides intensive blood circulation, stimulates protein synthesis, accelerates the elimination of waste products, among other things. Magnetism facilitates biochemical reactions.

Regularly providing this help gradually leads to healing. Magnetotherapy is not a fast treatment. Usually a course of treatment lasting a few weeks has an effect.

The effects of magnetotherapy

relieves joint pain in arthritis
stimulates the activity of bone-building cells in osteoarthritis
accelerates the activity of bone-building cells and thus the healing of fractures
reduces migraines, toothache, muscle stiffness
stimulates cellular metabolism to accelerate the healing of wounds and scars
reduces psychological complaints and stress, and is also excellent for improving sleep
muscle relaxant, pain reliever, immune system stimulant, cell metabolism enhancer, as proven by clinical studies and tests
the patient treated can usually significantly reduce or even stop taking painkillers
benefit not only the bones but also the cartilage tissue. For example, in the case of knee or hip pain, it can not only relieve the pain but also help regenerate cartilage tissue.

Areas of application

bone arthritis, Sudeck’s atrophy
stimulation of bone fracture healing
joint healing
femoral neck fracture, femoral head necrosis
stabilisation of the loose prosthesis
assistance of ossification after prosthesis surgery
inflammatory and degenerative joint and spinal diseases (arthritis, arthrosis)
tendinitis, bursitis, fibromyalgia
sports injuries, accidental muscle, tendon, ligament injuries, haematomas
leg ulcer, burns, bedsores
diabetic angiopathy (i.e. vascular lesions caused by diabetes)
trigeminal neuralgia
muscular stiffness (spasticity)
sleep disorders, concentration disorders, stress relief
relief of central muscle spasm after stroke
fat metabolism disorders, increasing the effectiveness of weight loss

Magnetotherapy and tumours

Medical professionals often recommend magnetic therapy as an adjunct to radiotherapy and chemotherapy for treating tumours. While several studies have examined the issue, they found that, although 80-90% of treated patients reported improved well-being and relief from treatment side effects, they did not identify any measurable outcome for the tumours beyond subjective treatment responses.

According to those who oppose the use of magnetotherapy in cancer patients, magnetism causes cellular processes, including cancer cells, to accelerate and can lead to an acceleration of cancer cell growth. So far, researchers have not conclusively proven any of these claims. As a result, most medical experts do not recommend the use of magnetotherapy devices in cancer cases.

Magnetotherapy devices for home use

Magnetic therapy helps your body to heal itself but is not a substitute for medical treatment. Do not start self-medication without a diagnosis. Before buying and using a magnetotherapy device, seek expert advice!

As I mentioned above, magnetotherapy is a basic method of physical therapy for musculoskeletal disorders. You can use it safely and comfortably at home.

Magnetotherapy uses a magnetic field stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field.

On the screen of the device, you have to select a treatment from a list of medically verified protocols for the specific condition. For example, for osteoporosis you would select “osteoporosis”, for arthritis you would select “arthritis” and pressing the start button would start the treatment. This makes it extremely easy to use, while you can carry out the treatment in the comfort and intimacy of your home. No need to travel, queue or wait.

Do not use if you have a pacemaker or other electronic implant, after organ transplant, during pregnancy, cancer, epilepsy, TB, AIDS, severe infection, bleeding conditions, fever, infectious disease, mental illness, heart failure, thyroid disease, liver or kidney failure, overactive hormone disorders.

Treatment time is usually from 30 minutes to a few hours per day (!). A course of treatment can last from 3 weeks to a few months! In this article, I have written about the practical implementation of magnetotherapy treatment. I also list general treatment protocols for a number of conditions.

I recommend these magnetotherapy devices.

[message title=”Magnum L Magnetotherapy Device” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

8 therapy programs (Fractures, Back Pain, Osteoporosis, etc.)
PEMF (pulsed magnetic field therapy)
1 channel | 120 Gauss

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[message title=”Magnum 2 Pro Drive Magnetotherapy Device” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

PEMF (pulsed magnetic field therapy)
2 channels | 400 Gauss
41 therapy programs
On the Go: chargeable from the car

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Muscle stimulation with electrotherapy device

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-06

Muscle stimulation is a method of treatment using a muscle stimulator device called electrical muscle stimulation (EMS). It is a method of treating voluntary muscles, known as striated muscles, but does not affect the viscera (intestines, internal organs). You can apply it to any muscle if it is close to the body surface and you can apply an electrical impulse directly to it. For this reason, it is less suitable for muscles in the deeper layers. In this article, I explain the general rules of application that will allow you to successfully use it on almost any muscle in your body.

The electrical impulses emitted by the device are transmitted through electrodes to the so-called motor point of the muscle. This is where the motor nerve reaches the muscle.

The electrical impulse triggers a series of muscle contractions in the muscle. You feel it as a twitch and this produces the effect of relaxing the muscle, improving its blood circulation, and increasing its strength – depending on the settings of the treatment programme.

The use of muscle stimulators is prohibited if you have a pacemaker or an implanted defibrillator. There is no other reason for exclusion. For relative (to be considered) contraindications to electrical treatments, read this article.

Preparations for muscle stimulation

You will need a muscle stimulation (EMS) device for the treatment (many people think that TENS is also good for muscle treatment – they are wrong)

At the end of this chapter, you will find some suggestions for muscle stimulator devices.

How many channels you need depends on how much muscle you want to treat. The larger the area to be treated, the more channels you need. If only one side of your neck is sore, a single-channel device is fine. If you need both thigh muscles treated, you’ll need 4 channels.

One stimulation cable and 2 self-adhesive electrodes are needed for each channel. Instead of the self-adhesive tens pegs on the limbs, you can also use a rubber electrode and a clamping strap. So if you want a 4-channel treatment, you need 4 cables and 8 electrodes. Get these out!

Connect the cable to the device, and connect the electrodes to the other end (which splits in two and ends in a needle-like metal or patent).

Stimulation cables can come in different colours. It makes no difference which colour cable you plug into which socket. The colours are only there to help you easily identify the two ends of the cable.

At the two ends of the same coloured cable, the current will flow between the two ends of the cable, this is what will create the muscle contraction. It follows that both electrodes must be on the same muscle (this also determines whether larger -longer- muscles can be treated with muscle stimulation)

Placement of electrodes

The basics to get started

Once you have the device, cables and electrodes prepared and connected, the next step is to attach the electrodes to the muscle to be treated. It is best to wash your skin with lukewarm, soapy water and towel dry beforehand. The oilier, dirtier, and sweatier your skin, the shorter the time you can use the same electrode.

The placement of the electrodes is essential for effective muscle stimulation. You may feel clueless when you first try a muscle stimulator. But don’t worry, even with the wrong electrodes in the wrong place, you won’t cause any trouble – at most, it won’t move your muscles.

The electrodes must be placed so that the electrical impulse reaches the neuromuscular plate, which then transmits the muscle contraction signal to the muscle. To do this, they need the following:

Both electrodes must be located entirely on the same muscle or muscle group;
Align with the direction of the muscle fibers (not crosswise to the direction of the muscle fibers);
One electrode should be close to the muscle origin;
The other electrode should be positioned in the middle of the muscle mass (because this is where the motor plates are most densely located)
The electrode upstream should be preferably twice the size of the electrode further away.

Modern muscle stimulators use a rectangular, symmetrical waveform. Therefore, it makes no sense to “pay attention” to the positive and negative electrode placement. In the two phases of the wave, the direction of the current is reversed. Thus, one electrode is positive and the other negative.

Electrode placement diagrams in books indicate the positive and negative poles. Therefore, because there are medical therapy applications that use asymmetric waveforms and these are based on the polarity of the electrodes. For muscle stimulation, however, there is no difference.

Electrode types and placements

Another “convention” for polarity marking is to mark the active electrode as positive and the inactive as negative. These can be used to indicate the relative sizes of the electrodes. It is useful if the positive (active) electrode is smaller, so that the current can be concentrated to reach deeper into the muscle structure.

Some muscle groups (e.g. biceps, triceps and forearm muscles) are stimulated with electrodes of the same size for ease of use. However, if space is available, the passive electrode should be twice the size of the active electrode. For example, on the hamstring, the active electrode near the knee should be 5×5 cm, while the passive electrode on the mid-thigh should be 5×9 or 5×10 cm.

The most important principle regarding placement is that both electrodes connected to the same stimulation cable should be located on the muscle. If you want to treat your forearm flexor muscle, both electrodes must be on that muscle. (There is no such thing as putting one electrode on your ear and the other on your toe and having all your muscles “exercised”!)

There are no nerve endings where the muscle continues in the tendon. Tighten the muscle you want to treat and feel along! Determine how long it is “soft” and where it goes into a tendon. Place the electrodes only on the muscle.

Examples of electrode placements for certain muscle groups

High quality devices come with diagrams showing electrode placement. If you “copy” this, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. But feel free to experiment! Move one electrode left and right, up and down a few mm and observe the effect. You’ll soon find out which is the most effective point.

The imaginary line connecting the pair of electrodes should follow the direction of the muscle fibres. This is usually parallel to the direction of the pull of the muscle. If you place the electrodes crosswise instead of this way, the muscle will twitch and you may feel cramping pain. This is because the current exiting the electrodes forms a closed circuit on the muscle and hits several nerves at once.

Locate in the direction of the muscle fibres! If the circuit is properly closed, the electric current encounters less resistance. This is important to maintain a strong contraction and also improves your sense of comfort.

Select a treatment programme for muscle stimulation

Some people believe that all muscle stimulators have the same effect. They are wrong!

The effect of muscle stimulation is mainly due to the

quality of the device (the more precise the pulses produced by the device, the less pain and the better the effect on the muscles)
is determined by the settings of the handler (mainly the frequency, pulse duration and current intensity values)

You should therefore choose the treatment program according to your goals!

If your muscles are stiff, you should run “relaxation, stiffness relief” or “blood circulation improvement” programmes. Avoid any “strengthening” programs as they will increase stiffness.

If your muscle strength has weakened, for example, due to long-term illness or injury or surgery, the first thing you need to do is to regain “endurance strength”. For this, neither “stiffness release”, “muscle mass increase” nor “maximum strength” programmes are suitable. These can be done once you have regained your “core strength”.

If you’ve never used a muscle stimulator before, try a stiffness reliever or blood circulation booster as a first trial. These will elicit subtle twitches and help you understand how to use the stimulation. If you start with a maximum-strength programme straight away, it can be painful and scary, and you can get serious muscle fever after just a few minutes of treatment.

12-week exercise plan using a muscle stimulator

This is a general-purpose, step-by-step program for regaining lost muscle strength. It can be applied to any muscle group. Pay attention to proper electrode placement.

Week 1	M	T	W	T	F	S	S
Stiffness relief	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Endurance training	X		X		X		X

Week 2 – 3	M	T	W	T	F	S	S
Stiffness relief	X		X		X		X
Endurance training	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Strength training			X				X

Weeks 4 – 12	M	T	W	T	F	S	S
Endurance training	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
Strength training		X		X		X

Intensity setting

When you start the tutorial, you don’t feel anything. To make something happen, you need to increase the current intensity. Look for the + and – buttons on your device.

For muscle relaxing, stiffening and blood circulation treatments, the intensity should be moderate. You should feel firm contractions, but they should be neither uncomfortable nor painful!

For muscle-strengthening treatments, stimulate at the top of your comfort zone. At this point, try to see what the current is that you can no longer tolerate and then reduce it by a few milliamps (with the – button)

It is a mistake to use too low a current when stimulating! If you don’t feel definite muscle contractions, the treatment has no effect.

Every person feels the current differently and reacts differently. You will feel differently even on different days. That’s why your appliance always starts from zero. You have to find the right value for you. If you increase the intensity in steps, you will gradually feel subtle twitches in your muscles. These subtle contractions have no effect yet, so you need to keep increasing the intensity. The higher the intensity, the stronger the contractions you experience and the stronger the effect.

However, above a certain level (specific to you), the treatment becomes painful. At this point, take back some mA values! The higher the current, the more uncomfortable the treatment can be. The pain is caused by the voltage across the skin.

After treatment

Once the treatment time has elapsed, the program will end and the pulses will stop.

Turn off the device and take the electrodes one by one, carefully detach them from your skin, not by the cord, and immediately stick them back on the plastic sheet.

Tip: keeping the electrodes in the fridge (not the freezer!) will increase the life of the adhesive.

How much time do you need?

Muscle strengthening occurs as a result of stimulation, but electrical treatment does not cause it.

Your body -like gym exercise- senses that you are regularly “working” the muscles. Your body responds to the load. If it senses that more muscle power is needed, it “tells” the hormonal system to increase the amount of hormones that stimulate muscle building. These trigger the “building” of muscle cells, slowly producing more and stronger muscle fibres.

Just like weight training, the results do not happen overnight. Keep a good routine and you should see results from 8-12 weeks of daily treatments.

While gradualness is important, i.e. you should get your muscles used to the stimulation in the first week, then from the second week you will get more frequent and more intense sessions, and then after the basics have been “laid down” you will enter the real strengthening phase.

By the end of the third to fourth week, you’ll feel your treated muscles tightening up, but they’re not “ready.” Don’t stop after three months of stimulation, because without regular contractions, muscle strength will start to decrease again.

At this point, however, you can move on to regular gym/exercise/exercise. This way you can keep your muscles in good condition and use the stimulation as a supplement to improve recovery and increase circulation.

Recommended muscle stimulators with built-in programs

[message title=”MyoBravo Multifunctional Muscle Stimulator” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Mid-level, 4-channel electrotherapy device
Multifunctional, i.e. in addition to muscle stimulation, it also provides other forms of current (TENS, FES), i.e. versatile
Precise programmes for muscle pain, muscle stiffness relief, prevention of muscle atrophy and muscle recovery
Sport applications
Custom program creation
You can use it to treat only 1 channel (i.e., small muscles) or simultaneously treat the largest muscles (thighs, back, abdomen)
For home use, but also recommended for beginner physiotherapists and trainers

[/message]

[message title=”Premium 400 Multifunctional Muscle Stimulator” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

High-end, 4-channel electrotherapy device
Multifunctional, i.e. in addition to muscle stimulation, it also provides other forms of current (TENS, MENS, FES)
Precise programmes for muscle pain, muscle stiffness relief, prevention of muscle atrophy and muscle recovery
Sport applications
Arthritis and tendonitis treatment
Possibility to create your own program (requires expertise)
You can use it to treat only 1 channel (i.e., small muscles) or simultaneously treat the largest muscles (thighs, back, abdomen)
For home use, but also recommended for beginner physiotherapists and trainers

[/message]

TENS Electrode types and treatment points

Essentials on electrodes for TENS treatment

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-10-06

The TENS electrode is used during electrotherapy treatments, (TENS – nerve stimulation, pain relief; EMS – muscle stimulation; Microcurrent – pain relief, healing stimulation, denervated – treatment of peripheral paralysis) and is an essential tool. The pulse is delivered from the device to your body through an adhesive pin attached to the skin. Without it, there is no treatment and no effect. In this article, I summarise the most important facts to help you make the right choice.

The TENS electrode is a consumable item that wears out after a few treatments and requires replacement.

Key features of the TENS electrode

connector type (needle, patent, clip, other)
size and shape (square, rectangular, round, oval, other)
layers (overlay, gel, conductive, adhesive)
use (single or multiple application)
conductivity.

Type of connector

Cables from electrotherapy device manufacturers in general

PIN or
patent (SNAP) or
other non-standard connectors

The larger, medical-grade manufacturers usually have standard PIN or SNAP connectors, so you can connect any PIN or SNAP electrode to these. You just need to pay attention to the termination of your device’s cable.

The connectors on some medical wellness manufacturers (e.g. Omron, Beurer, Vivamax) are not standard. The standard ones will not “fit”.

This is a marketing ploy. You buy the device cheap and later realize that the replacement electrode costs 8-9 thousand forints. If you have to use the device regularly, it becomes many times more expensive.

Size and shape

You can find the most varied sizes and shapes on the market. The most common shapes and sizes

square (4×4 or 5x5cm)
rectangle (5×9 or 5x10cm)
circle (2.3, 3, 5 cm diameters)
oval (3×5, 7.5×13 cm)
pillar and other shapes.

When choosing the size, take into account the area to be treated!

Obviously, a 7.5×13 cm oval pair of electrodes will not fit on your face, but round electrodes with a diameter of 2.5 – 3cm are suitable.

For your calves, on the other hand, the larger 7.5x13cm oval electrodes are fine.

For general analgesia (TENS or MENS), a 4-5cm square electrode is suitable. I recommend the same for muscle stimulation of the neck, shoulders, arms and motor points (larger muscles: thighs, abdomen, breasts, back).

For muscle stimulation, I recommend the 5×9, 5x10cm electrodes as electrodes further away from the motor point.

Note that for stimulation, a current of 2mA/cm2 is generally recommended. That is, a 5×5 electrode is 25cm2, so the recommended maximum current is 50mA.

The smaller the electrode, the smaller the area over which the current is concentrated. A higher current will cause a more unpleasant sensation.

Layers, materials

The materials and thickness of the electrode determine the flexibility of the electrode. The thicker and stiffer an electrode is, the less it will pick up the contours of the body.

Inexpensive electrodes usually consist of three layers: adhesive, gel and covering layers. The gel layer conducts the current and distributes it within.

Better quality electrodes (types: PALS, Ultrastim, ValueTrode) contain two gel layers, an adhesive, a conductive layer and a covering layer. The double gel layer provides a more even current distribution, which reduces the unpleasant pinching sensation associated with the treatment.

The top layer is usually textile, foam, paper or a special material.

Thicker and stiffer electrodes will smooth the skin properly on larger muscles, thighs, back, abdomen, and buttocks. However, they are not suitable for treating a thin wrist, neck, etc., because they do not lie on strong hairlines.

Cheap electrodes are stiff, their edges curl up in the hairline, and they sag. As a result, the current delivery is concentrated in a small area.

The PALS electrodes represent the highest level. They contain stainless steel mesh and are extremely thin and flexible. And the mesh covering the entire surface ensures perfect current distribution over the entire surface.

The UltraStim electrodes have a silver fibre mesh as the conductive layer. It also allows excellent current distribution but is slightly stiffer.

The general-purpose ValueTrode electrodes do not have a separate conductive filament. The current is conducted into the double gel layer, which provides good distribution, but the electrode is more rigid.

How to choose an electrode?

An electrical impulse will trigger the desired response in your body if it is of the right intensity (current). However, the higher the intensity, the more uncomfortable the treatment can feel. Above a certain current intensity, pain prevents the treatment from continuing.

If the electrode is of poor quality, it has poor conductivity. To be effective, the device must be set to a high current, which can increase the pain. However, if the pulse is not strong enough, the treatment’s effectiveness will be compromised.

A better conductive electrode will deliver the right pulse at a lower current. This allows for a more effective treatment.

Pain Reliever (TENS and Microcurrent) for treatments

Use of ValueTrode electrodes is generally sufficient. They are suitable for TENS and Microcurrent treatments with a diameter of 40-50mm. Stick them around the pain and perform the stimulation.

For facial paralysis and facial cosmetic treatments

Face and neck treatments require a small-diameter electrode (25-30 mm) because the muscles are small, and there is limited space, making it impossible to place larger electrodes with sufficient spacing.

I recommend using the 32mm ValueTrode Round or the 25mm PALS Round electrodes for the face.

For paralysed (paralysed muscle) treatments

The damaged nerve is sensitive. The better quality the electrode you use, the gentler you are on the nerve. So it’s worth using PALS or UltraStim electrodes.

Depending on the muscle you want to treat, you can use 25-32mm round electrodes (e.g. facial nerve palsy) or 5×5 and 5x9cm (peroneal palsy), etc.

For muscle stimulation treatments

For muscle stimulation, there are two guidelines as to what size electrode to use. Some recommend electrodes with a larger surface area, while others recommend electrodes of different sizes.

Those who advocate larger size argue that the larger the electrode, the easier it is to distribute the current in the muscles, the higher the comfort level, the higher the current intensity and the stronger the muscle contraction.

Advocates of different sizes suggest placing the smaller electrode on the most prominent part of the muscle belly. The smaller electrode concentrates more current on the motor nerve plate, situated at the center of the muscle. Some also believe that this permits it to penetrate deeper regions of the muscle before encountering another nearby electrode.

I recommend trying both variations and deciding which you feel is more effective based on your experience.

	PALS	UltraStim	ValueTrode	Olcsó-NoName
Number of stickers	15-20	20-25	15-20	5-10
Gel layers	double	double	double	single
Leading Material	stainless steel mesh	silver mesh	none	none
TENS treatment	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent	Suitable
MENS for treatment	Excellent	Excellent	Suitable	Weak
For muscle stimulation	Excellent	Excellent	Suitable	Suitable
For managed care	Excellent	Excellent	Suitable	Not suitable
Suitable for paralysis	Excellent	Excellent	Suitable	Not suitable
Structure	Flexible	Somewhat Stiff	Stiff	Stiff

You can increase the life of your self-adhesive TENS electrode pin with careful use

You can reuse the electrodes that accompany your device for approximately 20-30 treatments, varying in their quality. There comes a time when they stop sticking, dry out and no longer transmit the pulse properly. At this point, you will need to buy a new electrode, which, if you use the device frequently, will mean recurring expenditure.

Peel the electrodes carefully from the plastic sheet they come with.
Do not touch the glue as this will reduce its adhesion.
Do not stick it to clothing as dirt will quickly impair adhesion.
Prior to applying the electrode to your skin, cleanse the treatment area with lukewarm, soapy water to remove any grease, and then thoroughly dry it. Only apply the electrode to completely dry skin.
After use, peel it off your skin in one motion and immediately stick it back on the plastic sheet for storage. Do not pull by the cord, as the cord may tear!
Keep the electrode in the fridge. Not in a freezer. This will increase the lifetime.
If the surface of the electrode is dry, add 1 drop of water to the electrode to get a few extra uses.
A dry electrode will fail to transmit the pulse, resulting in a diminished or lost treatment effect.

By considering and applying the above, you can maximize both the lifespan of your electrodes and the effectiveness of your treatment, while also optimizing your costs.

Is the self-adhesive TENS electrode replaceable?

You can also use “permanent” electrodes if you want to avoid repeated costs. These are manufactured typically from rubber, carbon, and silicone materials, making them nearly indestructible and allowing for years of use. They are non-sticky and non-gelled. They require rubber tape with Velcro or a separate adhesive tape (e.g. leuco-plast) to hold them in place. You cannot use these “dry”; you must apply a contact gel to transfer the impulse to your skin (without gel, the treatment will cause burning and stinging).

Choose a specially designed large-surface electrode for treating your belly-bottom-comb (FastPads, Flexible Electrode)
Simplify the treatment of your waist and abdominal muscles with an electrotherapy belt (FastBand Belt, UltraStim Belt)
For muscle stimulation, you can use silicone carbon electrodes
Electrodes that can be inserted into the vagina or anus can be used for treating incontinence.
Iontophoresis uses a sponge-covered carbon electrode.

Soft laser treatment essentials and devices

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2023-09-26

Soft laser treatment is a form of physiotherapy. It is non-invasive (i.e. treatment from outside the body) and completely painless. It has several names, but they all mean the same thing. They are also called soft laser, low-intensity laser therapy (LLLT), and cold laser. Some countries use the terms biostimulation or photobiomodulation. I think the term photobiostimulation is the most apt because it gives a clear indication of what it is: a beam of light directed into the body stimulates self-healing biological processes.

What is low-intensity laser (soft laser) therapy?

Soft laser therapy involves the application of a beam of low-energy laser light. The beam consists of only a single wavelength of light (650 or 808 nanometres for soft lasers) moving in the same phase (coherent)

Soft laser treatment improves the regeneration of ligaments, nerves, cartilage and muscles, speeds up blood circulation, rapidly reduces inflammation and relieves pain.

Today, soft lasers can be used safely by dermatologists, surgeons, traumatologists, orthopaedists, sports physicians, rheumatologists, plastic surgeons, dentists, physiotherapists, physiotherapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists and patients themselves for a wide range of conditions.

What to look out for when buying!

Soft laser devices are classified according to their energy output. This is necessary for safety reasons because laser light can be dangerous to the eyes and can cause fires. The higher the energy of a device, the more powerful its biological effect, but this also increases the risk of use (for example, certain lasers can no longer be bought by the layperson for home use).

Class 1 Lasers

These devices are low energy devices. The required treatment time at a single treatment point can be 2-5 minutes, i.e. that’s how long you need to keep the appliance in the same place.

They are considered completely safe for normal use without goggles. They are only dangerous to the eyes with an optical accessory, goggles are only required in such cases. Their effect is limited to the vicinity of the body surface, mainly affecting the skin and superficial formulas. Class 1 laser devices are exempt from most medical control requirements. This is why many manufacturers (including many in China) produce them.

Class 1 includes the B-Cure Classic.

Class 2 Lasers

Their power does not exceed 1 mW. The natural reflex of the eye against strong light ensures eye protection. The eye may be endangered if the laser beam is directed directly into the eye for more than 0.25 seconds (quarter of a second) without protection.

Class 3 Lasers

Class 3 lasers are medium-power lasers with an output power of 5 mW to 500 mW. They deliver the amount of energy required to produce a therapeutic effect in 10 to 20 seconds, which means that treatment time is significantly shortened. It is particularly beneficial for patients with polyarticular diseases and for surgeries and therapists.

The light beam emitted is dangerous if it enters the eye directly. Diffuse reflection (e.g. from a wall) is generally not a hazard, but diffuse reflection from a mirror or glass is. These devices should only be used with protective goggles. Class 3 lasers are not usually a fire hazard. They can be dispensed for use at home without the presence of a doctor.

Devices belonging to this category: Personal Laser L200, Personal Laser L400, Energy Laser L500 Pro, Energy Laser L800, Energy Laser L2000.

Class 4 Lasers

Class 4 lasers are high-power lasers with an output power exceeding 500 mW. Direct beam, specular reflection or diffuse reflection are all hazardous to both eyes and skin. Class 4 lasers may be flammable (an ignition hazard if the radiated power exceeds 2 W/cm2). They may only be used in a medical practice with appropriate protective equipment and may not be supplied to private individuals.
Devices covered: PhysioLaser 500, PhysioLaser 1000.

Some known devices

Based on the above, you already know that Class 1 laser devices are the safest for home use. However, their biological effects are inferior to those of higher laser class devices. The higher the class, the shorter the treatment time and the stronger the effect.

Let’s see where soft lasers on the market fall.

Class 1 Lasers

Devices include the B-Cure devices (e.g.: Classic)
With these devices, you should be able to treat risk-free. Treatment time for each point is a few minutes.

Class 2 Lasers

Devices includes the Safelaser 150. This device is suitable for the treatment of skin problems and scars.

Class 3 Lasers

Devices includes the Personal-Laser L200 and L400, and the Energy-Laser L500 Pro, L800 Proand L2000 Pro. These deliver as much energy to the body in seconds as the Class 1 and 2 devices, making them significantly more efficient to use.

Class 4 Lasers

Devices includes high-powered devices (pe.g. PhysioLaser 500, PhysioLaser 1000), which cannot be purchased for home use. They are intended for use in a doctor’s surgery or physiotherapy practice.

Soft lasers with different laser classes

[message title=”B-Cure Classic Soft Laser” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Laser power class 1
808 nanometer laser beam
PW (pulsed) laser
250mW power
6 minutes / 5 Joule

[/message]

Personal Laser devices

[message title=”Personal Laser L200 Soft Laser” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Laser power class 3
660 nanometer laser beam
CW (continuous wave) laser
200 mW power
25 sec / 5 Joule

[/message]

[message title=”Personal Laser L400 soft laser” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Laser power class 3
808 nanometer laser beam
CW (continuous wave) laser
400 mW power
12.5 sec / 5 Joule

[/message]

High-end soft laser

[message title=”EnergyLaser L500 Pro Bluetooth Soft Laser” title_color=”#ffffff” title_bg=”#1e73be” title_icon=”” content_color=”#000000″ content_bg=”#ededed” id=””]

Laser power class 3
808 nanometer laser beam
CW (continuous wave) laser
500 mW power
10 sec / 5 Joule
Android app – Bluetooth connection

[/message]

Consider this:

With devices of the same laser class and wavelength, you can expect roughly equivalent effects. For example, B-Cure is class 1, its main effect is biostimulation and regeneration aid.
Laser class 3 devices (Personal Laser, Energy Laser) provide a much stronger treatment effect than class 1 devices (B-Cure and Safelaser).

Basic operation of your body

Your body’s cells produce the substances needed to renew itself. Think of cells as tiny “factories” that “produce” different things. One protein, one hormone, the next stimulus transmitter, etc.

Like a factory, think of a cell as a factory that makes “chemicals”.

And your body “rebuilds” and regenerates itself from these. It corrects faults, eliminates diseases, destroys pathogens.

The cell is bounded on the outside by a cell membrane (like a wall of a factory building).

The blood (and lymph) brings the raw materials the cells need for production and carries the finished products.

But energy is needed to get the material in and out of the cell (to open the “gates” in the cell wall and allow the transfer to take place).

If the cell is lacking energy, the transport of material through the cell wall is interrupted (imagine that the automatic gates do not open due to a power failure, i.e. neither in nor out).

And if the supply stops, no raw materials arrive for production, then the plant stops, no product is made. In the case of your body, this means that it cannot produce the materials needed to regenerate, heal, kill the pathogen, etc., so it does not recover, you are left in a permanently diseased state.

The aim of all medical treatment is to restore, stimulate and assist the body’s ability to heal itself, i.e. the “manufacturing function” of the cells!

You are wrong to think that medicine, ultrasound, laser, magnetic field, electric current, etc. heal!

These cannot “work” for the cell. Their only function is to help the cells to produce the substances they need in abundance, to get it out the “door” to other parts of your body.

How does soft laser treatment work?

The soft laser device emits electromagnetic radiation, which is one of the methods used to help heal people.

The energy from the laser beam entering the body is used by cells to produce ATP (energy) through a complex process. Using this energy, regenerative substances enter the cell and the finished products, as well as decomposition products (toxins, etc.) that hinder healing, are released.

Soft lasers also stimulate the mitochondria of the cells, i.e. directly the “manufacturing machines”. The main effect is to stimulate your body’s self-healing processes, so that the body slowly “corrects the mistake” and fights off the disease.

The laser beam causes your body to release pain-relieving substances (called endorphins), which results in a reduction in pain.

This is why it takes time for the effects of soft laser treatment to take effect! A few minutes of treatment – apart from a temporary pain relief effect – will not make any real difference.

Just think how long it takes for a broken bone to heal! Even months of tennis elbow treatment and the elimination of inflammation can’t be done with a single soft laser treatment.

But soft laser treatment does cause a change in the energy supply to the cells, the production of regenerative substances “kicks in” and regeneration slowly begins. Impatience is not helpful.

By stimulating the energy supply to the cells, soft laser treatment is not only symptomatic but also curative.

Another effect of laser is to heat up the tissues, thereby increasing blood and lymph circulation. This further improves the healing effect, as faster circulation delivers more oxygen and “building blocks” and also removes toxins more quickly.

Proven biological effects of laser light

Increases cellular activity
Increases cellular metabolism
Increases ATP production in mitochondria
Lymphocytes, leukocytes and macrophages migrate to the site of inflammation
Induces vasodilation and improves blood circulation
Collagen production is increased
Oxygen uptake by cells is improved
The Na-K pump in cell membranes is restored
Membrane potential of diseased cells is restored

Results

Anti-inflammatory effect. Laser light stimulates anti-inflammatory processes, resulting in reduced swelling, reduced redness and reduced sensitivity.
Improved microcirculation. Resulting in reduced edema and more efficient regeneration.
An analgesic effect. Endorphins are released as a result of nerve cell stimulation. These are powerful painkillers produced in the body. Endorphins reduce the sensitivity of pain receptors to toxins. By stimulating the nerve endings, a strong analgesic effect is achieved. In addition to relieving pain, endorphins also support the anti-inflammatory effect.
Increase production of “building blocks”The energy increases the production of ATP in the mitochondria, which provides sufficient energy for the production of proteins and healing substances.
One important process is collagen production. Collagen is part of almost all tissues – especially in the lower layers of the skin. Laser light stimulates collagen synthesis and thus improves wound healing.
The right amount of collagen ensures that wounds heal without scarring.
Release of waste products from cells. This effect is of great importance in the treatment of e.g. tissue injuries and haematomas.

What does the laser effect depend on?

The laser effect depends on the amount of energy emitted by the device, the wavelength of the light beam and whether the radiation is continuous or pulsed.

It is easy to understand that greater energy has a greater effect. A stronger laser will also have a stronger effect. That is, a class 3 laser is more effective than a class 1. It’s kind of like racing a car. A Formula 1 car is certainly faster than any production car. A Personal Laser L400 or Energy Laser L500 is certainly more effective than any Safelaser or B-Cure.

Most soft lasers use a diode that emits light at a wavelength of 660 or 808 nanometres. .

The 660 nm laser is red and visible.They are mainly used to treat skin and formations up to 1-2 cm under the skin. They cannot penetrate deep into the skin, but their energy is fully harnessed close to the surface. They are very effective for skin, small joints, teeth complaints.

The light from the 808 nm laser is infrared and invisible to the eye. Such devices also emit artificial, visible light when they are operating, but this is only used to “aim” the treatment and indicate operation. This laser beam penetrates deep into the subcutaneous tissue. Class 1 lasers can reach a depth of 3-5 cm, while Class 3 lasers can reach up to 5-10 cm. Therefore, 808nm lasers are suitable for treating larger joints, articular cartilage, ligaments and other formations, even in deep joints such as hips, knees and spine. Because the light penetrates the skin quickly, they can have a milder surface effect than 660nm lasers.

Laser beam penetration and distance

This diagram shows how to control the depth of penetration of the laser beam. If you keep a distance of 5-10mm between the head of the device and the skin, the energy is harnessed close to the skin. If you want to apply the energy as deeply as possible, place the head on the skin and press in lightly.

Laser Modes

Two types of soft laser are produced. One is continuous wave (CW) and the other is pulsed wave (PW).

Continuous laser light flows uninterrupted, so it can inject large amounts of energy in a short time. Its effect is twofold: heating (stimulating circulation) and enhancing energy production (biostimulation).

They could be beneficial in degenerative processes (cartilage wear, tendinopathy, etc.). Among these devices are the SafeLaser models, which employ a prism to disperse light, limiting their heating effect and necessitating longer treatment durations.

The Personal-Laser and Energy-Laser are prismless, i.e. their heating effect is significant. They inject a large amount of energy in a short period of time, so protective goggles and cautious use may be required.

Pulsating light (PW) delivers less energy, so there is no heating effect. However, the biostimulation effect is strong. Some physicians say the pulsed mode is more effective for wounds, ulcers and surface inflammation. Pulsed lasers are emitted by B-Cure Lasers.

What are the benefits of soft laser treatment?

Non-invasive, meaning the treatment can be performed from the outside
Non-toxic (completely drug-free)
No known adverse effects, i.e. no side effects
safer and more effective than drugs, ultrasound, infrared light or microwave treatment
Simple and easy to use, no special training required
Highly effective! With a success rate of over 95%

The effects of soft laser treatment

Improves vascular activity, increases blood circulation to the damaged area.
The energy delivered to the cell stimulates ATP production and thus accelerates cell proliferation and growth, speeding up regeneration processes.
Stimulates fibroblast development and accelerates collagen synthesis in damaged tissue, accelerating wound healing.
More scar tissue is formed, so the wound, the surgical scar, “heals” better and becomes stronger.
Anti-inflammatory, quickly reduces pain, relieving stiffness and returning normal joint and muscle function.
Edema reducing, i.e. it reduces swelling, whether it is swelling around an injury, nerve root edema or even lymphedema.
Stimulates nerve function, accelerating nerve cell regeneration, which could reduce pain and numbness associated with nerves (e.g. neuropathy)

Conditions that could be treated with soft laser

Thousands of scientific and clinical studies have demonstrated beneficial effects. The Word Association for Laser Therapy (WALT), an organisation of doctors who practice laser therapy, identifies the following as the main applications of laser light therapy

Musculoskeletal problems

Status	Energy demand	Appliances suitable for treatment (treatment time)
Arthrosis (joint wear, degeneration) Diseases associated with lesions of the tendons (tendinopathy, fasciitis) Tunnel syndromes (wrist, foot)	15-25 Joule	B-Cure Classic (18-30 min) / B-Cure Sport (15-25 min) / B-Cure Pro (14-24 min) Personal Laser L400 (35-60 sec/point) / Energy Laser L500 Pro (30-60 sec/point) / Energy Laser L2000 (30-60 sec)
Arthritis (arthritis, which can present in about 100 forms) Rheumatoid arthritis Periarthritis (inflammation of the joint and the tissues around the joint) Epicondylitis (tennis elbow, golf elbow) Cervical spondylosis (calcification) Sclerotic arthritis	10-15 Joules	B-Cure Classic (12-24 min) / B-Cure Sport (10-20 min) / B-Cure Pro (10-18 min) Personal Laser L400 (25-35 sec / Energy Laser L500 Pro (20-30 sec) / Energy Laser L2000 (10 sec)
Bruises, contusions, sprains, mild musculoskeletal injuries injury, bursitis	4-10 Joules	B-Cure Classic (6-12min) / B-Cure Sport (5-10 min) / B-Cure Pro (5-9 min) Personal Laser L400 (10-20 sec / Energy Laser L500 Pro (10-15 sec) / Energy Laser L2000 (10 sec)

Nervous symptoms (nerve fibre under pressure)

Status	Energy demand	Appliances suitable for treatment (treatment time)
Trigeminal neuralgy (facial nerve pain)	10-15 Joules	Personal Laser L200 (50-75 seconds)/ Personal Laser L400 (25-35 seconds / Energy Laser L500 Pro (20-30 seconds)
Intercostal neuritis and neuralgia
Facial nerve palsy (Bell’s palsy)
Sciatica Lumbago – lower back pain Disc hernia Piriformis syndrome	15-25 Joules	B-Cure Classic (18-30min) / B-Cure Sport (15-25 min) / B-Cure Pro (14-24 min) Personal Laser L400 (35-60 sec/point) / Energy Laser L500 Pro (30-60 sec/point) / Energy Laser L2000 (30-60 sec)

Dental and Ear, nose and throat conditions

Status	Energy demand	Appliances suitable for treatment (treatment time)
Tinnitus	15-25 Joules	Personal Laser L200 (75-125 seconds)/ Personal Laser L400 (35-60 seconds / Energy Laser L500 Pro (30-60 seconds)
Involuntary hearing loss (inflammatory, infectious)	10-15 Joules	Personal Laser L200 (50-75 seconds)/ Personal Laser L400 (25-35 seconds / Energy Laser L500 Pro (20-30 seconds)
Ear and sinus infections Periodontitis and gingivitis Stimulating healing after dental surgery Afta and herpes treatment	4-10 Joules	Personal Laser L200 (20 sec/point)/ Personal Laser L400 (10-15 sec / Energy Laser L500 Pro (10 sec)

Blood vessel-related conditions

Status	Energy demand	Appliances suitable for treatment (treatment time)
Superficial varicose veins Vasculitis An ulcer caused by varices Acute and chronic ulcers Swelling \| Edema	4-10 Joules	B-Cure Classic (6-12min) / B-Cure Sport (5-10 min) / B-Cure Pro (5-9 min) Personal Laser L200 (20 seconds/point)/ Personal Laser L400 (10-15 seconds/point Energy Laser L500 Pro (10mp/point) / Energy Laser L800 (10mp/4cm2) / Energy Laser L2000 (10mp/4cm)

Stimulating the healing process

Status	Energy demand	Appliances suitable for treatment (treatment time)
Ulcer caused by diabetes Ulcers and bedsores of varicose origin Burn wound healing Stimulation of surgical scar healing Polyneuritis, neuritis, neuropathy	4-10 Joules	B-Cure Classic (6-12min) / B-Cure Sport (5-10 min) / B-Cure Pro (5-9 min) Personal Laser L200 (20 seconds/point)/ Personal Laser L400 (10-15 seconds/point Energy Laser L500 Pro (10mp/point) / Energy Laser L800 (10mp/4cm2) / Energy Laser L2000 (10mp/4cm)

Contraindications

Do not point the laser beam towards your eyes! Do not want to look into it! All persons in the room must wear safety goggles for laser category III devices (B-Cure devices do not require such protection!)

Thyroid: do not aim the laser beam at the thyroid gland, you may compromise thyroid function.

Pregnancy: do not treat the uterus directly, do not direct the treatment to the fetus (especially not in the first trimester).

Epilepsy: low frequency pulsed visible light (<30 Hz) may induce seizures in epileptic patients, i.e. do not use visible range lasers in such cases.

Patients with cancer and haemorrhagic diseases are prohibited from using soft lasers.

Skin: do not treat moles with lasers!

Performing soft laser treatment

Soft laser treatment is one of the easiest treatments to perform. There are two ways: point treatment and scanning.

Point treatment

The amount of energy to apply in each condition is known, as shown in the table below. It is possible to calculate how long it takes to deliver this energy based on the device’s power. This duration determines how long the device should be held at the specified point. Once the treatment time has passed, the device should be shifted to the next treatment point. This method allows for a fairly accurate calculation of the required treatment time.

Scanning

Based on the size of the affected area (cm2), the required dose, the energy output of the device and the size of the handpiece, it is possible to calculate the total amount of energy to be administered in a given case.
Once this has been calculated, the head should be moved slowly and continuously until the calculated time has elapsed.

The disadvantage of this method is that no matter how you move the head, you can’t treat the area completely evenly (but this isn’t always a problem)

I recommend using panning treatment for wounds, ulcers, scars, acne, herpes, etc.
For arthritis, tendonitis, cartilage problems, abrasions, treat point by point.

It takes longer to administer the same amount of energy with the lower power device. Some devices, such as B-Cure Lasers, have a large treatment head that treats a huge 4.5cm2 area at a time and takes 4-6 minutes per point. SafeLaser devices usually take 2-3 minutes to do the same, while Personal Laser and Energy Laser devices take a few seconds (but the latter treat a smaller area at a time).

If you’re suffering from inflammation of a single joint, such as a wrist, then all of them may be suitable, with each taking just a few minutes to treat.

If you have a multi-joint complaint, e.g., you need to treat 28 finger joints in ten fingers of your hand, the higher energy and point laser will require a significantly shorter treatment time.

Attention! Soft lasers are not toys. Make sure it does not get into the hands of small children!

Treatment Frequency

In acute cases (if the disease is recent), treat daily for 1-2 weeks, then 3-4 times a week until symptoms resolve. Although you may see improvement on the first treatment, this is not a cure. Treat for a minimum of 14 days or until full recovery.

For long-standing conditions (more than 8-10 weeks old, prolonged), one should treat them less frequently but for a longer duration. One treatment every other day is sufficient for the first 10 days, and then every third day thereafter until symptoms have resolved or significantly reduced.

Recovery from persistent illness obviously takes longer (up to months!). After the first few treatments, the pain may temporarily increase, but after a few days it will disappear. Inflammatory processes particularly commonly trigger this reaction, as toxins leach out, temporarily exciting pain receptors.

More is not always better

In the case of soft laser treatment, longer treatment than recommended does not give better results, in fact! Let me explain.

To get the beneficial effect, i.e. stimulate cellular processes, a certain amount of energy is needed. The suggested treatment times inject this energy. If you keep it there for shorter periods, you are not giving enough. And if you give too much, it can inhibit the healing processes because you can’t stimulate the cells beyond a certain level.

It’s similar to sun exposure. If you just get out in the sun, it doesn’t warm you up, you don’t get a tan. Or you sunbathe for 20 to 30 minutes, it warms you up and tans you. Or you go out for 3 hours, you get a sunburn, you get sore, you damage your skin.

Treat enough to ensure the beneficial effects.

Repeat the treatment to maintain the healing process you have started. Achieving the effect requires repeated treatments, much like sunbathing, which yields results only after several days of repeated “treatment”. For a mild effect, a few treatments may be enough. Lasting results can only be achieved with persistence!

bruises, contusions, sprains, mild musculoskeletal injuries	4-10 Joules	B-Cure Sport / Pro, Personal Laser L400 / L500 Pro
improve microcirculation (blood and lymph circulation), reduce hematoma	4-10 Joules	B-Cure Classic / Sport / Pro, Personal Laser L400 / L500 Pro
ulcer treatment and diabetic foot	4-10 Joules	B-Cure Classic / Sport / Pro, Personal Laser L200/ L400 / L500 Pro / L800 / L2000
acute and chronic inflammations (tendon and tendon sheath inflammation, bursitis, tunnel syndrome)	4-10 Joules	B-Cure Sport / Pro, Personal Laser L400 / L500 Pro
dental and oral health	4-10 Joules	Personal Laser L400 / L500 Pro
skin problems (acne, scar, stria)	4-10 Joule	Personal Laser L200 / L400 / L500 Pro / L800
pain relief	15 Joules	Personal Laser L400 / L500 Pro / L2000
severe musculoskeletal condition (knee hip shoulder arthritis)	15 Joules	Personal Laser L400 / L500 Pro / L2000
cartilage regeneration (arthrosis)	20-25 Joules	Personal Laser L400 / L500 Pro / L2000
ligament, tendon and muscle tears	20-25 Joules	Personal Laser L400 / L500 Pro / L2000

Soft laser treatment points

Helpful – but not a miracle worker!

When used properly, soft lasers help your body’s self-healing processes to speed up recovery. In contrast to many drugs and symptomatic treatments, soft lasers can also be a real help in eliminating disease.

Soft lasers don’t work on anything! See the list above. If you want to treat one of these diseases or conditions, it could be a good choice. If you can’t find one, it’s unlikely to help. But you can’t eat soup with a fork either – that means the right tool for the job will help!

Soft lasers don’t work in an instant. A single or a few treatments can have minimal effect, although they may have an immediate pain-relieving effect.

You can expect the results of treatments after a few weeks if you persist with them.

What is a foam roller? How does it help healing?

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2022-09-21

The foam-roller is a simple and very useful muscle-management device for patients and athletes. It is excellent for relieving muscle pain and loosening stiff muscles. You can also use it for stretching, warming up and improving muscle recovery.

The greatest benefit of the foam roller is that it provides the benefits of physiotherapy and massage at the same time. Meanwhile, a foam roller is cheaper than a single exercise or massage and can still be used for years. The main difference between a foam roller and a massage by a masseur is that in a foam roller you use the weight of your body to thoroughly knead muscles and fasciae. In massage, this effect is created by the pressure of the masseur’s hands.

Of course, rolling is no substitute for relaxation-stretching exercises or massage. However, if you can’t afford to pay for a massage after every workout, it’s well worth it to use a foam roller.

How to use a foam roller?

It’s simple to use.
Decide which part of your body muscles you want to roll, because that will determine your body position.
For example, to work the calves, sit on the floor. Place the roller under the calf muscles, perpendicular to the direction of the shin.
Rise your hips to place your body weight through the calf onto the foam roller.
In a slow, steady motion, roll up and then down. Meanwhile, the foam roller rolls through the muscles.
The more weight you put on the foam roller, the more painful the pressure can be. Apply enough pressure to cause acceptable discomfort. Rolling, if done well, will be effective at the “it doesn’t hurt yet” level.
The foam roller should not be used on joints! Only use it over muscles! Rolling has no effect on the joints and only puts unnecessary pressure on areas that are already under a lot of strain during exercise (ligaments and tendons).
Roll each muscle for 1-2 minutes at most (but thoroughly and intensely). Then move on to another muscle.

You can use similar “logic” to treat almost any muscle group in your body.

The physiological benefits of foam rolling

Increases blood flow

Foam rolling exercises stretch muscles and release stiffness. The foam roller squeezes blood out of the muscles while fresh blood flows into place. This brings vital nutrients such as oxygen and glycogen to the muscles, fasciae and tendons. You can control the “pressure” of the foam roller, the intensity of the massage. The more you put your body weight on it, the more pressure you apply.

Improves mobility and flexibility

Muscles that are better supplied with blood (hydrated) and loose move with less friction. During exercise, movements are smoother and muscles are less likely to strain or injure.

Reduced risk of injury

Better blood flow, mobility and flexibility result in better body coordination. The likelihood of an incorrect movement leading to injury is significantly reduced.

Reduced recovery time

Increased blood circulation flushes out accumulated waste products such as lactic acid. Muscles get the nutrients they need more quickly, resulting in better recovery. The muscle recovers from the fatigue of exercise more quickly, allowing for more intense training work.

Foam roller types

Mambo Max 3-in-1 foam roller

A combination of different rollers for beginners and less experienced users.

It contains three different rollers suitable for different treatments:

Soft foam roller for beginners. It is easy to use, less painful and helps to “get the feel” of the correct technique.
Firm Foam Roller, a ribbed foam roller for more advanced, deeper rolling.
Massage wand for targeted massage of sore areas.

Spiky (spiked) foam roller

The Spiky foam-roller is designed for deep massage and acupressure therapy.

The spikes are perfect for deep tissue massage to relieve muscle tension and pain.

Hollow Foam Roller

This foam roller is for experienced foam roller users. Who are ready for the “excruciatingly pleasant” pain.

Its material is firmer and the textured surface targets knots and spasming muscles.

Some pain while rolling is necessary and acceptable, but it is important to keep it bearable. The pain should subside within 30 minutes and should not cause irritation or persistent pain.

Ergonomic Foam Roller

Softer and more comfortable than the hollow foam roller. The material is more flexible.

The Ergonomic Foam Roller is perfect for rolling the back (supporting muscles near the spine). The central recess reduces pressure on the vertebral spines.

Its curved shape allows for more than just straight-line rolling. The buds scattered across the surface provide a soothing massage.

Massage Bar

Two-handed massage tool for self-massage of sore muscle areas.

Common application errors

Rolling directly on the painful area
Take your time. Start by massaging the region around the painful area. Then continue to the problem area.
Too rapid rolling.
If you roll the body part too fast on the foam roller, the muscles won’t have time to adapt to the compression. Therefore, rolling too fast will not eliminate the flattened knots. Rolling should be done in slow movements.
Focusing too much on one point. Too much and intense pressure can even damage tissue or nerves. The point of rolling is to slowly apply pressure to a specific muscle group.

Salt therapy – what can you expect?

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2022-05-07

In this article, I will explain what salt therapy is for. Salty air is good for your health! It has been known and used as a medical therapy for centuries. Of course, its effects are not as fast as those of a steroid pill. On the contrary, it has no risk to your health (which is not the case with steroids). If you don’t know exactly what to use it for, how to use it, and especially what to expect from it, read this!

What is salt therapy for?

If you’ve been running a fever of 40 degrees due to pneumonia or have been having trouble breathing for days due to a flare-up of your chronic bronchitis, don’t expect a few puffs of salty air to instantly fix you up. I’ve had several calls from people who (misinformed about salt therapy) expected an instant cure for their child with a fever and flu that had been running for days from a single application of a salt therapy device. They were surprised (or rather questioned me :) ) that he was not cured within the first five minutes.

So let’s see what salt therapy is good for?

Prevention

To prevent upper respiratory infections (colds, flu). You may have seen that children in kindergarten and school groups “pass” germs to each other and the illness spreads through the whole group. Of course it continues its journey at home. Siblings, parents, and grandparents catch it one after the other and take it to work. So hundreds of thousands of people fall ill every time there is an epidemic.
To avoid allergic symptoms. If you’ve been to the beach, you’ve experienced ‘raging’ hay fever ‘going away’ or itchy eczema receding in 2-3 days. It all happens unnoticed! Your symptoms are reduced or eliminated, even though you’ve done nothing but breathe in the salty sea air.

The Department of Otolaryngology at Semmelweis University has been studying the disease-preventive effects of salt therapy in school groups. Half of the group received salt therapy before the epidemic was even known. The result of several weekly treatments was that those who did not receive salt therapy were twice as likely to get sick, had more severe symptoms and took longer to recover. The researchers suggest that salt therapy can prevent frequent colds in children, but it can also reduce the time needed for treatment and the amount of medication needed for recovery. Feeding children less “poison” is a huge advantage.

Hay fever, allergic rhinitis, respiratory allergies, croup attacks, colds, flu and other respiratory infections should be prevented in a similar way – starting a few weeks before the “season”.

As a complementary therapy to medical treatment

Severe respiratory illness (pneumonia, COPD, cystic fibrosis, severe flu) cannot be treated with salt therapy alone. However, it is an excellent adjunct to medical treatment. The microscopic salt particles inhaled through the air reach the very depths of your lungs. They adhere to the walls of the airways where they exert their beneficial effects. They help to kill pathogens, dissolve mucus and neutralise foreign substances (dust, pollen, allergens).

How does this benefit you? Your symptoms are reduced, you need fewer medications, the illness goes away faster, and you don’t develop a flare-up or end up in hospital. You can use it for a range of conditions

COPD, cystic fibrosis, acute bronchitis
chronic sinusitis
sennatitis, allergic rhinitis, airway allergies
acute tonsillitis, mucosal inflammation
flu, influenza and other respiratory viral infections
coughing and dyspnoea in smokers
pneumonia (start salt therapy only a few days after onset)
snoring
allergies caused by industrial allergens, house dust, mites
eczema, psoriasis, neurodermatitis

Effective salt therapy? Where? How?

You can’t expect a therapeutic effect from turning on your salt lamp occasionally for its mood-altering light.

Salt pipes are not a good solution either. For one thing, you have to “suck” the salt out of it, which a small child cannot do properly. Another disadvantage is that the salt particles are very large, so they settle in your mouth and throat and do not reach the depths of your lungs. They are only useful in the upper respiratory tract, e.g. in cases of sinusitis, COPD, bronchitis. For allergies and infections, the saltpipe has little effect and is not very good at prevention.

A great program is to go to a salt cave and pay for an hour. It will certainly relax you! But the effect is minimal! You can expect this if you spend at least 1, but preferably 2-3 hours in the salt cave every day for 10-14 days. Any shorter than that is a waste of money.

Your best bet is to get a salt therapy device designed for home use

This way you can use it whenever you want and if you choose well, your additional costs will be minimal. State-of-the-art salt therapy devices emit salt particles smaller than 5 microns, which can reach the very depths of your lungs.

Watch out! Some devices use a salt cartridge, which will empty after a few weeks of use and you will need to buy a new one. Replacing these can cost more than the machine itself over a year. The machines with salt deposits are cheap, but you get the “blackmail” of running them.

For example, it’s worth choosing the SaltDome salt therapy machine. It’s easy to refill, producing a salt vapour from a simple salt solution (salt dissolved in water) by ultrasonic atomization. You won’t have any significant extra cost with this, as half a kg of rock salt is enough for 5-8 years even if you use the device continuously.

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ultrasonic atomization
1, 3, 6 hours or continuous operation
particles of salt smaller than 5 microns
two-stage vapour production
colour therapy
for home and work use

The more time you spend in the salt air, the better the effect!

Salt therapy is more effective the longer you spend in the salt air. The right duration is a few hours a day. You usually don’t spend that much time in one place during the day, and neither do your children.

You spend most of your time, and in peace, sleeping in your bedroom. It’s best to use salt therapy here too. Operate the SaltDome salt therapy device no more than one to one and a half meters away from your head, all night long. You can turn it off during the day, since you won’t be home anyway.

If you’re desk-bound at work, you can use it here too and enjoy the benefits all the time. No worries! The salt air won’t ruin your technical equipment or leave a coating on your furniture (if it didn’t, you wouldn’t be able to live on the beaches because all your technical items would be ruined)

Salt therapy is like a seat belt in a car that you almost don’t notice when it’s buckled. Normally it has no role. But if you get into an accident, it will protect you from injuries, or at least they won’t be as severe as if you were to crash without a seatbelt. In other words, it’s definitely an advantage.

If you start using salt air when you’re healthy, you won’t notice much of a change. But when you look back months later, you realise that you haven’t had a cold in a long time, you haven’t had an allergy flare-up or even hardly need to use your medication, your severe COPD is at rest and you haven’t been forced into hospital.

Physiotherapy Tools

Medical technology at home – “healing” tools

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2021-07-18

Most people do not know exactly what a medical device designed for home use is. Let alone which one, what it is for and how to use it. Because of this, many people are “misinformed”. They buy a device and then expect an effect that the device cannot provide. They want to treat symptoms of a disease for which it is unsuitable. Let’s start from the bottom!

Officially defined, a home medical device is a tool that can be used by the patient without the presence of a doctor or health professional. It helps to maintain, repair and even cure temporary or permanent health problems or disabilities.

To put it simply, they are actually “tools” with which you can “fix”, “adjust”, “fine-tune” various “malfunctions” or conditions of your body. Each medical device is designed for a different use, i.e. to treat a different complaint, symptom or condition.

An everyday example to illustrate the point

Knife, spoon and fork – all cutlery. You can get small and big. For picking, meat, fish, cakes, desserts, and sauces. A fork is no substitute for a spoon, just as a spoon is no substitute for a fork. You can’t eat soup with a knife, nor can you cut meat with a spoon. For a multi-course meal, you’ll be serving several types of cutlery. Each utensil has a different function, but each one has its own ability to get everything into your mouth and keep you full. If you only have a spoon for a meal, you can easily eat soup, and scoop in a main course, but chopping up a roast is no longer an option. If you have a knife and fork next to your spoon, you can eat your lunch faster and more efficiently.

Let’s apply this to medical devices

One eases pain, the other doesn’t. One is a good anti-inflammatory, one is a moderate anti-inflammatory, and one is not at all. One stimulates wound healing, the other does not.

Some medical devices help you heal in different ways. You can use them individually, but multiple tools can work together to enhance and speed up your healing.

For example, if your back hurts from sitting too much, a TENS machine will reduce the pain but has no healing effect, so your pain will return. If you use a muscle stimulator to strengthen your back muscles, the pain will go away over time and never return. This happens because you have eliminated the cause of the pain, which is the weakness in your spinal muscles. so eventually your pain will be permanently gone. You get even better results when you combine TENS and EMS treatments. TENS quickly reduces your pain, while the muscle stimulator eliminates the cause of the pain.

In my blog, I’ll tell you what you can expect from these devices, how to use them, and which other methods you can combine to enhance their effects. This can vary from symptom to symptom, from disease to disease. In fact! What worked for your neighbour -for a similar complaint- may not work for you.

Before you buy a home medical device, do your research! First of all, you need to know whether the device you choose is really suitable for what you want to use it for. For example, if you expect TENS to have an anti-inflammatory effect, it’s like trying to cut up a roast with a dessert spoon.

What the medical device can be used for

The home medical device is not a replacement for the hospital, but a way to continue at home a few days of treatment started in the hospital, to complete the recovery.

Technology is advancing so fast that today’s home medical devices are more effective than hospital devices were even 10-15 years ago. Their safe and simple use allows you to apply them to your healing without the presence of a doctor.

In addition to treating illnesses, modern devices can also be used to prevent illnesses and maintain health. By using them regularly, you can improve your quality of life.

They help prevent diseases.
They help in the early detection of certain diseases.
Allow monitoring of existing diseases, conditions and the effects of treatment.
Help treat, improve or at least prevent certain diseases or conditions from getting worse.

Some groups of home medical devices are not exhaustive

TENS device

Provides effective and long-lasting pain relief using electrical pulses. Most effective for musculoskeletal pain. Compared to medication, TENS treatment has the advantage of having no side effects, while the pain relief effect can last from a few hours to a day. However, it does not have a curative effect, i.e. it does not cure the disease causing the pain.

Microcurrent electrical stimulation (MENS) device

Microcurrent is a more effective pain relief method than TENS. Recent studies have shown that around 90% of people receiving microcurrent treatment reported relief of pain after 10 treatments.
Its main advantage is that while TENS does not cure the disease itself, it only relieves pain, microcurrent treatment is also curative! More on that here. The microcurrent restores the altered electrical potential of the diseased cell membrane, stimulates ATP production and protein synthesis, and regenerates the cell – very effective healing.

You can use microcurrent to treat inflammation, injury, tears, pulling, abrasions, scars, ulcers, oedema and many other conditions.

Muscle Stimulator (EMS)

Can be used for muscle and joint pain. You can use it to treat muscle atrophy and muscle weakness. You can improve joint stability and thus reduce joint pain.
It is an essential tool for rehabilitation in case of paralysis caused by stroke, accident or infection!
For athletes, it is also excellent for supplementing training as well as improving muscle recovery.

Iontophoresis unit

It helps you deliver active ingredients topically to the skin and joints. Commonly used to treat sports injuries, and joint pain and to enhance the effects of cosmetic products.
It is excellent for the treatment of palms, soles and armpits sweating that do not respond to other treatments.

Therapeutic ultrasound

In addition to relieving muscular and joint pain, muscle and tendon stiffness, and reducing inflammation, it is also suitable for beauty treatment (acne, cellulite, cellulite, cellulite treatment, fat reduction).

Soft laser therapy

In arthritic conditions (rheumatism, arthrosis, tendonitis, inflammation of the jaw joint, etc.), they are effective in reducing pain and inflammation, stimulating cell regeneration and thus healing.
It accelerates the healing of scars, including wounds (ulcers) that do not heal with other treatments. Excellent for the treatment of cold sores, shingles, and facial nerve sores. Lastly, it can be used in Bell’s palsy and partial facial paralysis treatments.

Humidifier

It can be used to increase the humidity of the air, which helps to prevent and treat various respiratory diseases.

Inhaler, also known as a medicine nebulizer

It plays a vital role in the treatment of respiratory diseases. The device creates an inhalation spray of medicine and thus the drug can be delivered directly to the lungs. In asthma attacks, it provides an immediate effect in asphyxia.

Salt therapy device

Primarily used for prevention in cases of colds (flu), croup, asthma attacks, hay fever, respiratory allergies.
In case of acute symptoms, it strengthens the effect of medical therapy and less medication is needed in case of bronchitis, COPD, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, flu, sinusitis, etc.
It is also useful in eczema and psoriasis.

Magnetotherapy device

Unfortunately, in this country, this method has been discredited by some “scam” sales companies and has been undeservedly overshadowed. Yet magnetotherapy is a recognised method of physiotherapy. It is used in medical practice to treat long-standing musculoskeletal disorders (osteoporosis, fractures, arthrosis, arthritis, etc.).

(Pneumatic) Compression therapy unit

Effective solution for the maintenance, at-home treatment of lymphedema.
Also excellent for the treatment of any stages of venous insufficience (heavy legs, varicose veins, venous ulcers) and also for post-thrombotic conditions.

Paraffin treatment

It reduces rheumatoid joint pain and is also excellent for treating dry, fragmented skin.

Defibrillator

Electric much provide resuscitation for victims of sudden cardiac death. Such equipment is needed in as many places as possible, as some 80,000 people in our country die from sudden cardiac death every year, typically at a young age and unexpectedly. With a defibrillator, at least some of them could be saved. Without a defibrillator, they’re hopeless.

Home ECG machine

You can record the electrical activity of your heart, the ECG curve, at any time. For example, if you experience a heart rhythm disturbance or pain in the heart, you can use the instant recording to help your doctor (because by the time you see a doctor, you may not be able to see what caused the complaint).

Pulse-oximeter

Provides monitoring of blood oxygen saturation, which is important for those suffers from heart or respiratory disease.

Blood glucose meter

Provides diabetics with blood glucose monitoring and treatment.

Blood Pressure Monitor

An automatic device that determines blood pressure.
It helps in the early detection of hypertension (high blood pressure).
Its most important role is that allows regular monitoring of the effect of antihypertensive therapy.

Modern medical devices are now available to everyone, are safe and provide effective help in the management of disease and symptoms.

Compression therapy unit

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2021-03-14

A compression therapy unit is also known as air pressure or air wave device. These names refer to the same device. You can also find it under these names: pressotherapy unit, intermittent compression therapy unit or rarely, lymphatic massage machine. They can also be used in medical treatment rooms, cosmetic-beauty practices and for home treatment. In this article, I am writing about what you should know before buying a lymphatic massage machine.

The name “lymphatic massage machine” is misleading, because the device can be used not only by lymphatic patients, but in many conditions!

The compression therapy unit is not for pressing the muscles deeply, it is not a substitute for the sports masseur! If you prefer to have your muscles worked on powerfully, go to a masseur!

This device is for supporting and improving blood and lymphatic circulations!

Application modes of the compression therapy unit

for the treatment of the primary, i.e. congenital form of lymphoedema (lymphatic congestion)
for symptomatic treatment of the secondary, i.e., acquired form of lymphoedema. This includes but is not limited to, the treatment of arm swelling after breast cancer removal.
for the symptomatic treatment of lipoedema (Lip- fat, oedema- swelling)
to reduce the symptoms of lower limb varicose vein insufficiency
to reduce varicose vein complaints during pregnancy
for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis (for example, in the case of a permanently bedridden patient), or thrombosis relapse
for the treatment of a residual condition after thrombosis (post-thrombotic syndrome, PTS)
to improve muscle regeneration (recovery) in athletes

What is a compression therapy unit?

This is actually an air compressor. In accordance with the programming, it blows air into the air chambers of the treatment cuffs, which you connect to the unit. You can control the pressure very precisely in line with the requirements of the medical treatment. In particular, it is important that you can inflate each chamber separately, individually or jointly. The pressure, which the inflated air chamber exerts, creates a beneficial effect, i.e., the displacement and diversion of blood and lymph.

Lymphatic massage aka Compression Therapy units

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4 compression chamber cuffs
Use it equally in oedema affecting the arms or legs.
Optimal for arm swelling, developing after breast removal surgery (mastectomy)
Eliminate the feeling of heaviness of legs, and tension pains caused by varicosity.
Relieve swelling of your feet associated with varicosity in pregnancy.

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Home treatment of mild to moderate lymphoedema without complications
For cardiac swelling after mastectomy, this device is usually sufficient
It is effective in relieving the heavy legs and tightness caused by varicose veins
You can also use it to reduce leg swelling in pregnancy varicose veins

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Treatment cuffs

You can place the treatment cuffs on the legs, arms and trunk, depending on which part of the body you want to treat. In this figure you can see how many types of cuffs you can choose from – of course not all manufacturers recommend all of these.

Choose a cuff depending on what symptoms you have.

Arm cuff

Lymphoedema of the arm is usually unilateral, meaning you may need only one cuff. If you are buying the device as an athlete to improve muscle regeneration, it is worth buying 2 arm cuffs so that you can treat both arms at the same time. The arm cuff has a Velcro strap that allows you to secure it under your opposite armpit.

Half-length leg cuff

This approximately knee-length cuff is designed specifically for the treatment of the condition occurring after thrombosis (post-thrombotic syndrome). You can start using it 3-4 months after thrombosis, in order to treat the residual symptoms of thrombosis. You should use this cuff in lymphoedema only if the swelling affects the foot, and spreads upwards, at most to the ankle. If it spreads higher than this level, you will need a longer cuff.

Thigh-high leg cuff

This cuff is excellent for the treatment of leg lymphoedema, varicosity or post-thrombotic condition. It is suitable for athletes to improve muscle regeneration.

Depending on whether your oedema affects one leg or both of your legs, you can buy only one piece of cuff, or of course, a pair of cuffs. If the “base” sizes are not appropriate, the size/circumference of the leg sleeve (leg cuff) can be “enlarged” with the help of the extensions (extension zippers).

Waist cuff (abdominal band)

Buy this type of cuff if your lymphoedema extends all the way to your thighs. In this case, in addition to your feet, your also have to treat your trunk. You have to put on the waist cuff like a belt, starting from the upper edge of the leg sleeve. People use it to treat cellulite / orange peel skin – although for this purpose, a short pant cuff is more effective.

Short pant cuff

It makes the treatment of the upper thigh, buttocks and lower abdomen more effective. It is an optimal supplementary tool for beauty treatments, especially in the treatment of cellulite, orange peel skin. You can also apply it after (ultrasonic) cavitation therapy.

Cuff combinations

In some cases, it may be necessary to combine the cuffs, i.e., use multiple cuffs at the same time. You should not use these combinations in cases of heart failure, post-infarction condition, cardiomyopathy, or high blood pressure (despite treatment).

Waist and leg cuffs

One can use them in lymphatic and fatty oedemas (lymphoedema and lipoedema). Moreover, these are suitable also for cosmetic treatments (cellulite, orange peel skin therapies, and enhancing the effect of cavitation treatment). This combination is cheaper but somewhat less effective than the next one.

Short pant and leg cuffs

It’s an optimal combination for cosmetic treatments (cellulite, orange peel skin, after cavitation), for lymphoedema treatment (extending to the thighs and hips). Moreover, it’s optimal for the management of lipoedema.

It is important to choose the right cuff size. If the cuff is too large, the treatment effect may be lacking or smaller. Measure your wrist-elbow-upper arm, ankle-lower leg-knee-thigh, and abdomen-waist-hip circumferences and choose a cuff size accordingly.

Number and significance of air compartments

Based on the number of compartments in the cuff, there are 4, 6, and 12 air compartment tools. In this figure, you can compare the 4-5 and 12 air chamber leg cuffs.

With multi-compartment devices, the area the unit inflates simultaneously is smaller, so you can control the treatment more finely and precisely. The more the air compartments, the faster the desired effect can be achieved. However, with an increase in the number of compartments, the prices of the control unit and the cuffs are rising sharply. And, of course, the use and set up of the device is getting more and more complicated.

Treatment programs

The simplest home appliances usually provide a single “program”. The control unit inflates the cuff compartments from the bottom upwards. In case of a leg cuff it inflates first the compartment at the ankle, then the lower leg, later the knee, finally the thigh compartment. The pressure is the same in all air compartments. In such a device, you can set only the operating pressure and the duration of treatment. We can use these simple devices successfully also for the treatment of mild oedema, varicose complaints, and post-thrombotic conditions.

If your oedema is more severe and older, reappears quickly, or there are complications (dripping, ulcers), too, please choose a superior level device. Try to use a more high-tech machine. They are more efficient than the basic devices, but their prices are also higher.

Mid-level compression therapy units already provide multiple inflation programs, however, still, you can set the same pressure on them.

The most effective devices are those in which you can adjust the treatment cuff pressure for each air compartment. Moreover, you can also control the pressure time and the length of the rest periods between the inflation cycles in these compression therapy units. According to medical studies, it provides a more effective lymphoedema treatment if the pressure in the lower air compartments is higher than in the upper ones. Similarly, it is of the same importance that the pressure time (pressure holding time) be adjustable so that a full cycle lasts for at least 45 seconds.

How often can you use these compression therapy units?

You can apply the mechanical lymphatic massage if necessary. This means that as soon as you feel the tension, swelling, treat it as soon as possible.

If you wait for it to harden (tissues are under high tension), swell, it will be much harder to fight it back!

Depending on how quickly the swelling comes back, you can treat it more than once a day! However, the total daily treatment time should not exceed 120 minutes.

Doctors recommend more frequent and short treatments rather than one long session.

Choosing the right treatment pressure

I have written about this before: a lymphatic massage machine is for improving the lymph and blood circulation. Lymphatic massage is not a substitute for sports massage, that is, you should not set a strong, painful pressure mode. The purpose of lymphatic massage is to improve and stimulate venous and lymphatic circulation. This requires the application of a low pressure mode.

According to most medical studies, it is sufficient to apply a pressure range between 20 and 60 mmHg during the lymphatic massage treatment session. Obviously, the lower the pressure you apply, the longer it takes to achieve the effect. (If you drive the car at a speed of 60 km/h, you will reach your destination more slowly than if you were driving at a speed of 120 km/h)

With a high pressure above 100 mmHg you will worsen your condition, and you will make your lymphoedema unmanageable over time!

In addition, too high a pressure can put a strain on your heart. So be especially careful in case of heart disease, high blood pressure, thus a pressure of less than 60 mmHg is recommended. This low pressure range is also effective in lymphoedema!

Optimal settings

If your device is capable of doing so, adjust the cuff pressure so that the pressure in the lower air compartment is higher and decreases upwards. The pressure value per air chamber pattern should be of 60-50-50-40 mmHg (foot-calf-knee-thigh) for 4 air chamber cuffs, while 60-60-50-50-40-40 when using 6 air chamber cuffs.

The treatment time should be 20 to 30 minutes at a time. In general, you can achieve a reduction in swelling/oedema in 10-15 days.

However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to deal with it anymore! The swelling returns, so you need to use the lymphatic massage machine daily for the rest of your life. This will help you reduce swelling and avoid constant complaints.

Which lymphatic massage machine to choose?

Which aspects influence my choice?

The main differences between the machines are in the number of the air compartments, the fineness of the pressure control and the durability of the device.

The number of air compartments

The area the machine is capable to squeeze at one time depends on the number of air chambers in the treatment cuff. The more air compartments a cuff consists of, the more finely the lymph can be guided. More precise treatment provides results with a shorter treatment time.

The fineness of pressure control

The compressors of cheap machines produce the very same pressure in each air compartment. Better quality devices are able to set different pressures in each air compartment. This is especially important in the treatment of the lower extremities. The treatment is more effective if a so-called pressure gradient can be set, that is to say, when the pressure is higher in the foot than when going upwards. This allows the lymph to flow faster.

The pressure sensor controls the programs of cheap machines. The compressor pumps air into the air compartment and as soon as the set pressure is reached, it stops and starts pumping the next compartment. In the case of more precise machines, when the pressure reaches the set value, the device maintains the pressure for a set period of time. This gives more time for the lymph to move forward. Machines with adjustable pressure time provide more efficient handling.

Machine weight, operation time

Some of the devices, especially the cheaper, 4-chamber ones are designed for home use, and for 1-2 hours of treatment per day. They usually weigh 2-3 kg and you can even take them on a trip. The 6-12 or more air-chamber appliances are usually for hospital and outpatient clinical use. They can operate in a continuous operation for up to 12-16 hours a day. They are significantly larger in size, weighing 10kg or more.

My advice

If you can afford it (financially), choose a compression therapy unit using 6 or more air chambers cuffs.

I strongly believe that a better quality, 4-air chamber compression therapy unit is mostly completely suitable for home, maintenance treatment.

I recommend purchasing a simple and inexpensive device when the symptoms are mild and there are no complications yet. For the elderly, who have difficulty managing technological devices, even the simplest machine is better than leaving the oedema untreated.

In case of significant overweight, moderate or severe oedema, or complications like ulcers, the basic-level equipment is not sufficient. In such cases, I recommend devices with more setting options and higher treatment precision. You should choose this also if you suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure, or arrhythmia, as in such cases it’s essential to treat with precisely set pressure.

home medical technology, domáca zdravotnícka technika

MileStone Tools

What can home medical technology be used for?

by Dr. Zsolt Zatrok 2021-02-03

Many people – either doctors or patients – are unaware of what home medical technology is for. The doctors think that it is against them/replacing them. And the patients believe that a single twenty-euro device purchased in the supermarket is enough to get rid of all of their complaints. Neither party is right. Let me explain it.

Home medical technology and the doctor

Home medical technology refers to a diagnostic or therapeutic device designed for safe use in the absence of a physician or physical therapist.

It represents a new treatment option for both the doctor and the patient. By the use of which such tasks can be accomplished that were not possible even 10-15 years ago, but only in hospitals. It can be used in addition to traditional (pharmacological, surgical, etc.) treatments, in some cases even instead of them.

It supports the medical work! For example:

data from blood glucose level or blood pressure measurements (regularly performed by the patient) help to fine-tune the treatment.
measurement of blood oxygen levels informs the patient about the severity of her/his condition and when to see a doctor.
it enhances the effect of drug therapy (e.g., salt therapy, mechanotherapy, microcurrent, soft laser and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) therapy).
it is side-effects-free, therefore, it may replace certain medications or reduce the dosage needed to be administered. (TENS, microcurrent).
it allows treatment for diseases that cannot be treated in an outpatient clinic or a hospital.
For example, symptoms caused by lymphedema, ulcers, post-thrombotic conditions, atherosclerosis/vascular stenosis etc. require lifelong treatment. Usually require half an hour to one hour of treatment per day. Today, medical practices are not prepared to care for a patient who needs daily treatment for a lifetime.
home medical technology can improve conditions for which there was no solution before (incontinence, peroneal paresis, Bell’s palsy, facial nerve paralysis – functional stimulation)
it accelerates rehabilitation, i.e., recovery after long-term illnesses, or surgeries.

Home medical technology and the patient

In a significant proportion of diseases home medical technology simplifies treatment and helps your daily life! For example:

blood glucose level or blood pressure self-monitoring is an effective way to empower patients, by the use of which the serious complications can be prevented, i.e., stroke, paralysis, vascular stenosis, dementia.
In the case of COPD, pulmonary diseases, by measuring blood oxygen levels, the measured alterations warn in time of an exacerbation of the disease, and the need to see a doctor.
it provides a faster healing, recovery and return to work (this is important because if you don’t work, your income will also decline).
it is side-effects-free, no need to poison yourself (with plenty of drugs).
it allows home treatment for diseases, for the treatment of which you would have to go to an outpatient clinic even daily, for a lifetime.
For example, symptoms caused by lymphedema, ulcers, post-thrombotic conditions, atherosclerosis/vascular stenosis, paresis etc. require regular, half an hour to one hour of treatment. If you have to travel to the outpatient clinic every day, wait your turn, get the treatment,
it makes your life completely impossible, and may even make your family member’s life miserable, too, who is helping you.
it accelerates regaining the strength, i.e., recovery etc., after long-term illnesses, or surgeries.

So the home medical technology is nothing more than a new treatment modality, provided by the modern age, in addition to and in part instead of medications, surgeries.

The role of an adequate instrument

Do not use your home medical device without a proper medical examination. In order to get the right device, and therapy, you need to know what area needs to be treated!

Example: You’re waiting for lunch while squeezing the fork. But Grandma cooked soup! You cannot do with a fork because you need a spoon!
Of course I hear…. that you can eat the soup with a fork too, because you are so skilful! Well, let’s face it. If you would eat with a spoon, you could be done in a shorter time, and eat in a more cultured way. Because a spoon was invented for eating soup (without making a mess!). While forks were not designed for that purpose.

Another example: even if you have a hammer, you will never drill a hole in the wall! Just like the saw is not driving a nail into the wood.

I hope this helps you understand how important the appropriate tool is! Ask for an advice on choosing the right device!

Home medical technology isn’t a miracle worker!

Miracle machines do not exist! Don’t fall for all the lies! There is no such device that could eliminate a persistent torturing condition that has developed over months and years, with only 1-2 treatments.

Only a treatment accomplished with the right treatment device adequate to the diagnosis, performed in the right way and with the right frequency will help. In most cases, its regular application for weeks will work.

The use and management of home medical techniques are simplified so that you can use them safely and effectively without the presence of a doctor. You should continue treatment until you recover under the guidance and periodic monitoring by your doctor/therapist.

What happens in the hospital?

If you’ve had an accident or surgery before, you may have experienced that hospital treatment takes only a few days. Everything is done to eliminate the “serious” symptoms, in order to discharge you from hospital as soon as possible. These days, it’s rare to stay in the hospital for more than 5-10 days.

But that doesn’t mean that you’re completely healed!

Your arm is still paralyzed by the stroke. Your long illness has weakened you, your muscles are atrophied and you can barely get up from bed to stagger to the armchair. Your operated knee is stiff, does not move properly, every step hurts, and so on.

If you’re not okay, why do they send you home?

Because the hospital’s job is to “get you out” of the serious condition. If your life is no longer in danger, they are “no longer competent”.

Medical treatments form a process in which the elements build on each other. The life-threatening condition was averted at the hospital and you were discharged home. From then on, you need the help of other professionals.

The next step is rehabilitation

Head to the specialist clinic, visit the physical therapist, physiotherapist, and dietitian.

They teach you the gymnastic movements you need to repeat at home every day. If you do the exercises persistently for a few months, you won’t miss the impact either. (If not…)

You will also be advised on a diet that is appropriate for your illness – but no one can keep that for you either. Getting rid of a few pounds… it doesn’t work in a week or two either.

They prescribe 10-10 physical therapy sessions, from this and that. That’s what insurance “covers”. Treatments expire when you are just beginning to feel their benefits, but you are not “ready” yet.

These consultations and physical therapy treatment sessions “expire” (after a certain amount of time from activation date). These consultations and treatments “expire”.

You should also continue your diet, the exercises and treatments until you recover.

How long does it take to rehabilitate?

Now, let’s look at two simple examples!

After a knee injury, you wait for a few weeks for surgery. You can’t move, your lower limb muscles weaken, and atrophy quickly. The surgery will be performed and the physiotherapist will show up the very next day to teach you what exercises you need to do. You will also be sent for physical therapy and will also receive some selective stimulus current (muscle stimulation) treatments.

But you’ll definitely be sent home in a few days. And you are horrified to notice that your thigh muscles are thinned, they’re barely “holding” you. You feel that your knee joint is unstable or weak, and you can hardly walk, much less exercise. If you exercise for at least 30-40 minutes twice a day, you can regain lost muscle strength in 6-7 months. With the help of a muscle stimulator, this time period can be halved or thirded.

The situation is even more serious if you get a stroke and one of your arms or legs get paralyzed. The danger to life is eliminated in a few days, and your general condition will also be resolved in a week to 10 days. You will be treated daily by a physiotherapist at the hospital and you will also receive electrotherapy. You’ll be home after two or three weeks… but your hands (and feet) still won’t move. You will need to repeat the stimulus current therapy and physiotherapy at home for months to maintain any hope of recovery at all.

You’re on your own.

In some countries, the home rehabilitation (HOME Rehabilitation, HOMER) system is well designed and developed, and the necessary equipment is covered by the health insurance. It is conducted under the guidance of medical specialists, but not in the outpatient clinics, but in the patient’s home.

However, the most modern, most recent devices are often included in the range of assets supported by health insurance with a delay. Therefore, if you want an effective home treatment, you are obliged to buy a device on your own.

Who controls the home treatments?

As physical therapy at home is intended to continue the treatment started in the hospital/outpatient department in your own home, until recovery, thus treatment should be controlled by a doctor or a physical therapist.

She/he has to specify what program to use, with what settings, how, and how many times to treat the body part(s) affected by the disease(s).

And you will have to perform the treatment. Only then is it effective!

Medical technology designed for home use is extremely easy to apply. Anyone can learn how to use these devices properly, and really master their safe use.

Bonus: freedom and independence

Why do I need this?

Many argue that if these treatments can be obtained in a specialist clinic as well, then why should you buy such medical device(s) for home use?

Lost muscle strength, joint stability, etc. cannot be regained in a few days!

It often takes weeks, sometimes months to heal. Moreover, there are conditions such as paralysis due to nerve injury, where it can take years to regain function.

It’s not realistic, and it’s fatiguing as well to be obliged to travel to the clinic every day for the 10-30 minute treatments. It is a real hassle even if you live next door.

Lymphedema is also a good example. This condition requires daily care and treatment.

There is an army of chronic diseases, in which, at times, the complaints get worse, and at other times they get better. If your knee or hip osteoarthritis or rheumatism “flares up” every now and then for the umpteenth time, it is completely unnecessary to go to the hospital or a specialist clinic. Proven treatments can also be performed with the help of a home medical device, when it hurts and you need it and not when you can get an appointment at the outpatient clinic.

Home medical technology helps with these! In your home, comfortably, safely. Because that’s what they were invented for!