Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) is a modality commonly used by healthcare professionals. EMS produces electrical currents that pass through the affected area of the patient. EMS tends to penetrate deeper than other electrical modalities and has a number of physiological effects that have therapeutic value.

EMS current therapy is a treatment to aid the relief of pain and the promotion of soft-tissue healing. Most patients find interferential therapy to be very beneficial and describe the treatment as being relaxing. Ligament sprains, muscle strains and muscle spasms often respond well to interferential current therapy.

The physiological effects include:

• an increase in localized blood flow which can improve healing by reducing swelling (the additional blood flowing through the area takes edematous fluid away with it) and as a result helps remove damaged tissue and bring nutrients necessary for healing to the injured area

• the stimulation of local nerve cells that can have a pain reducing/anaesthetic effect due to potentially blocking the transmission of the pain signals or by stimulating the release of pain reducing endorphins

• some degree of muscle stimulation as muscle contraction can be achieved through external application of electrical current, overcoming some of the muscle inhibition often caused by local injury and swelling.