Complimentary therapy

Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) is a type of electrotherapy stimulates a muscle contraction using electrical impulses in order strengthen weak muscles, reduce swelling, relieve pain and help heal wounds.
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES)uses high intensities that cause excitation of peripheral nerves to produce a muscle contraction.
The impulses are generated by a device and delivered through electrodes (pads that adhere to the skin) over the middle of the muscles that require stimulating. The impulses from EMS mimic the action potential (stimulus required to make the muscle contract) coming from the central nervous system. This causes the muscles to contract.

There are several uses for EMS and NMES which include:

• Pain relief. EMS can be used at low levels to reduce the amount of pain you experience. This can be done by modulating the amount of pain signals to the brain or releasing natural pain-killers called endorphins.
• Muscle contraction. EMS can be used at different intensities to stimulate a muscle or help maintain muscle tone. 
• Recovery - E-stim therapy for muscle recovery sends signals to targeted muscles to make them contract. (Flexing your biceps is a form of muscle contraction.) By causing repeated muscle contractions, blood flow improves, helping repair injured muscles.

Acupuncture involves inserting needles into the body to stimulate sensory nerves in the skin and muscles. This may help treatTrusted Source chronic pain and other physical conditions.

Acupuncture has roots in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and is now a common complementary treatmentTrusted Source worldwide.

Dry needling is a technique that acupuncturists, physical therapists and other trained healthcare providers use to treat musculoskeletal pain and movement issues. It’s almost always used as part of a larger pain management plan that could include exercise, stretching, massage and other techniques. During this treatment, a provider inserts thin, sharp needles through your skin to treat underlying myofascial trigger points.

Physical therapists use needles to alleviate your trigger points. When dry needling is applied to your muscles and tissues, it can decrease tightness, increase blood flow and reduce local and referred pain. Providers use solid needles that don’t contain any kind of medication. This is why the technique is called “dry.” Nothing is injected into your body.

Cupping therapy is an ancient form of alternative medicine in which a therapist puts special cups on your skin for a few minutes to create suction. People get it for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and well-being, and as a type of deep-tissue massage.

How does cupping work?

Experts are still exploring how cupping eases pain and disease symptoms. There isn’t a lot of research on the therapy.

Suction from cupping draws fluid into the treated area. This suction force expands and breaks open tiny blood vessels (capillaries) under your skin. Your body replenishes the cupped areas with healthier blood flow and stimulates proper and normal healing at a cellular level. Because of this effect, some people think that cupping releases toxins.