Electronic muscle stimulators are to boost blood flow to the legs – this is what evidence say

Google “improves leg circulation”, and you can see sponsored ads for electronic muscle stimulators that claim that they boost blood flow to your feet. But is there any evidence that they work?

Peripheral artery disease is a surprisingly common condition affecting more than one in ten people at the age of over 65 in Great Britain. Caused by narrow and blockades in the arteries of the legs, this can lead to interrupted chromation – calf pain while walking – what Dutch “Window legs”.

Leg pain while walking significantly affects the daily lives of people with peripheral artery disease. This limits their ability to participate in social activities, everyday tasks, such as shopping, and may even affect the employment of a person. No wonder people with shorter painless distances of walking Report a worse quality of life and the main impact on their mental well -being.

Peripheral artery disease is not a bland. Five years from the diagnosis, Four out of ten people died And the next one will have solemn leg amputation.

Thus, the purpose of treating peripheral arterial disease is to reduce both the risk of heart attacks-the greatest cause of death-how and progress to the final stage of the disease, in which amputation is necessary, unless surgery is performed to restore blood flow. The most essential elements Optimal treatment Do blood suffering drugs such as aspirin, cholesterol lowering drugs such as statins and smoking stop.

For people with pain during treatment with one of the greatest influences on the distance of walking and the quality of life is, well, walking. The best results are evident in those who take part in Supervised exercise program which consistently showed that it is more profitable than chromation surgery. In fact, One large randomized study It showed similar results from the supervised exercise to stenting the blocked artery in improving the distance of walking and the quality of life.

Unfortunately, the supervised exercise therapy is only available to Half of patients with a peripheral disease in Great Britain Despite Recommended by Nice.

What about electric muscle stimulation?

These devices operate using electronic impulses to repeated calf muscles. This is usually done by indirect stimulation by the feet using an electronic alloy plate, somewhat reminiscent of a spa feet – although water is not used. These devices seem to be protected and well tolerated, without reporting adverse events.

Studies have shown that they actually boost arterial blood flow healthy people and in People with peripheral artery disease. However, these increases in blood flow are only present when using the device.

Study 2023 out of 200 patients with peripheral artery disease assessed the impact of electrical muscle stimulation on Distance to the walk. The study recruited half of the participants from centers with supervised exercise programs and half from people without. All patients received optimal medical therapy.

Scientists randomly assigned half of the participants to obtain stimulation of electric muscles. These patients received the device and told it to be used for 30 minutes at least once a day for three months.

After three months it was No difference In the maximum distance of the walk between those that they did and did not receive electric muscles stimulation.

However, there was an improvement at a distance of walking at people who received electrical muscle stimulation in addition to the supervised exercise therapy compared to those who received independent exercises.

In addition, patients who received electrical muscles stimulated, reported lower pain results and better results for the field of health in the quality of life questionnaires – although they did not record the overall quality of life benefits. This shows that although it can be beneficial to the device regarding symptoms, it can be tiny or experienced only by circumscribed percentage of patients.

The percutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) was also used in people with peripheral arterial disease. This uses weaker electrical impulses to stimulate nerve fibers and block pain signal transmission.

AND Review of published research He emphasized that dozens may have some benefits in improving the distance of the walk. However, the research included relatively tiny and not all were randomized attempts. This means that the findings may not result only from the influence of tens or exploit to a wider group of patients.

Although these electrical stimulation devices show a promise, it is not clear whether they are profitable or are currently recommended for guidelines for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease.

Certainly some people with peripheral artery disease do so Report to use these devices. But they should only be used in addition to the cornerstone treatment of peripheral arterial disease: drugs, smoking stopping and walking as much as possible.