Many of us have been to the physio
and had electrodes strapped on to the injured area that ‘zap’ us with a mild
electric current. This treatment is known as Electrical Muscle Stimulation
(EMS), which contributes to the rehabilitation process of injuries to bones,
joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Very similar to this is Transcutaneous
Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), where an electric current is used for pain
relief by targeting the nerve endings near the skin.
Frankly, I find it hard to
differentiate between the two, but either way, I believe that tingling
sensation can be good for you, which is why I was intrigued by the EliKing Mini
iPro Massager III that I discovered at the recent Old Mutual Two Oceans
Marathon Expo. It was being demonstrated by Dave and Caroline King from Richards
Bay, the South African agents for the device, and they sure got my attention
when they strapped the mini electrodes to my upper back and next thing I knew,
my shoulders were up around my ears!
SHOCKINGLY
EFFECTIVE
Caroline explains that the massage
unit works on the TENS principle to release the tightness in your muscles and
promote faster recovery, and thus is great for use by athletes, especially
after a hard workout. The electrodes can be applied to any part of the body,
such as shoulders, stomach, back, arms or legs, and you can use it anywhere,
any time, thanks to it being small, portable and easy to use.
The iPro Massager comes in a neat
box set that contains a small control unit that looks like an MP3 player, three
sets of wires to connect to the electrodes, two sets of small self-sticking massage
pads, a bigger massage pad with Velcro strap, and massage shoes, plus a charger
cable that can be plugged into either an electrical outlet or your computer.
The control unit has a large LCD display that makes using it easy, and you can
choose between six different frequency modes as well as 20 intensity level
settings – I found levels two to three to be plenty, to begin with!
As a runner, I found massaging my
leg muscles particularly effective, but the massage shoes did take some getting
used to. (Admittedly, I do have very soft, ticklish feet.) And boy oh boy can
this little unit give your stomach muscles a workout! Bottom line is that for sore,
tired muscles, this is a really great product.
The complete package retails for
R1500. To order the unit or get more info, contact Caroline King on 083 630
1992 or info@ismartsa.co.za, or look out for the iSmart stand at the Comrades
Expo.