Use of electrical muscle stimulation body massager (EMS-BMs) improves deep venous blood flow

Abstract

We investigated whether using electrical muscle stimulation body massagers (EMS-BMs) for the passive contraction of the lower extremity muscles reduces venous stasis in the deep veins of the lower extremities. In this randomized crossover design study of 20 healthy volunteers between November 2018 and February 2019, we measured both the popliteal and femoral vein peak velocities (PV, cm/s) and blood flow volumes (BFV,mL/min), using pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasound at rest (baseline), and at 2 and 10 min after starting EMS-BM use. Two EMS types: types A (two small pads) and B (one large pad) devices respectively, were examined. The PVs of the femoral (A: 23±7, B: 25±8) and popliteal (A: 26±12, B: 27±12) veins and BFV of types A (107±46) and B (141±88) of the femoral vein were significantly increased compared to the baseline (PV of femoral vein: 19±9, PV of popliteal vein: 14±5, BFV of popliteal vein: 81±46) (P<0.01). No significant differences occurred between the devices in the PV or BFV at either 2 or 10 min. Regardless of the type of stimulation or the shape of the pad, contraction of the lower limb muscles by EMS-BM effectively reduces venous stasis in the lower limb.

Keywords: Blood flow volume; Deep-vein thrombosis; Electric muscle stimulation; Lower extremity muscles; Peak velocity.