Device and Equipment
Diagnostic ultrasound, also called sonography or diagnostic medical sonography, is an imaging method that uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of structures inside the body. With the widespread availability of ultrasound devices, ultrasound examinations have become an important tool in detecting diseases, as they are easily accessible to many people today. It is one of the first-choice diagnostic methods and can provide a definitive diagnosis.
I have written before that one important sign of how your body works is its electrical activity. Body processes are controlled by electrical impulses, so the functioning of your brain and your heart is largely governed by electricity. Electrocardiography records the electrical activity of your heart; it is performed with an ECG (electrocardiograph) device.
The English term biofeedback literally means biological feedback — a signal about how the body is functioning. It is a technique with which you can learn to control certain functions of your body. Biofeedback requires sensors that collect information about your body. Based on the feedback received, you can make fine adjustments, for example relaxing certain muscles to reduce pain.
The treatment performed with a muscle stimulation device is electrical muscle stimulation (EMS = electrical muscle stimulation). It is a method suitable for treating voluntarily controlled, so-called striated (skeletal) muscles and does not affect the viscera (intestines, internal organs). You can apply it to any muscle that lies close to the body surface and to which you can deliver an electrical impulse directly. For deeper-layer muscles it is therefore less applicable. In this article I explain the general rules of application so that you can successfully use it on almost any muscle of your body.
ETS is a modern and effective electrotherapy treatment method. It is primarily used to recover lost functions. Examples include improving or eliminating incontinence and relearning movement after paralysis caused by stroke.
The term biofeedback refers to the detection of biological processes using technical equipment. Here I present one such device. The SineBravo is an electromyography (EMG)-based biofeedback device. It measures the electrical potential changes (EMG) that occur during muscle contractions and converts them into visible and/or audible signals. It can detect a muscle contraction even when the contraction is so slight that it is not visible. The SineBravo is not a diagnostic EMG, but a two-channel biofeedback device that, by continuously monitoring muscle activity, provides substantial help in performing rehabilitation exercises.
The Dolito is a two-channel TENS device optimized for relieving acute and chronic pain. It only has pain relief programs. In addition to constant-frequency (traditional and endorphin) TENS programs, it also provides a modulated (variable-parameter) program. Thus it can be used effectively not only for acute pains lasting 2–3 days, but also for osteoarthritis, arthritis, tennis elbow, tendon inflammations, rheumatic complaints, etc.
“Health is not everything, but without health everything is nothing” – says a Chinese proverb. The problem is that you usually only understand this when your health is lost. Unfortunately, many still do not. Most live in the belief that restoring health is the doctor's job. They are convinced that if they take a few pills or undergo an operation, they can continue to harm their body for decades as they did before the illness. This is a complete misunderstanding of healthcare and the role of doctors. The patient expects something they cannot get from them. Why? That is what this article is about, and also about how medical technology finds its way into homes.
TENS means nerve stimulation through the skin. The nerve pathways that transmit pain signals to the brain can be stimulated through the skin with electrical impulses, and with continued stimulation the nerve fibers eventually “tire out” and the transmission of the pain signal is interrupted — this is how pain-free status can be achieved.
If you struggle with chronic pain, musculoskeletal complaints or respiratory disease, you know how frustrating the waits, travel and appointment logistics can be. The good news is that many therapeutic methods are now available for home use too – under medical supervision, but used in the comfort of your own living room.
In this guide I will show you what you need to know about home medical devices: what they are for, how they work, and how to choose the right one for you. I am not talking about miracle cures, but about supplementary therapeutic options that can help improve your quality of life alongside medical treatment.
Are you an athlete? Do you feel it's time to take up muscle stimulation to improve your performance like your competitors? It's worth looking around the market! There are few manufacturers whose devices are truly usable. In Europe Compex and Globus are the two best-known manufacturers, but recently the Italian iTech and the German MTR+ also want to break into the "serious" sports muscle stimulator market. It's just as hard to find your way among the devices as it is among cameras, for example. I've known the devices for about 10 years and have tried every model. Read my summary opinion!
