13
12
Chapter 15 : TIPS FOR SKIN CARE
To avoid skin irritation, especially if you have sensitive skin, follow these suggestions:
1. Wash the area of skin where you will be placing the electrodes, using mild soap
and water before applying electrodes, and after taking them off. Be sure to rinse
soap off thoroughly and dry skin well.
2. Excess hair may be clipped with scissors; do not shave stimulation area.
3. Wipe the area with the skin preparation your clinician has recommended. Let
this dry. Apply electrodes as directed.
4. Many skin problems arise from the
“
pulling stress
”
from adhesive patches that
are excessively stretched across the skin during application. To prevent this,
apply electrodes from centre outward; avoid stretching over the skin.
5. To minimize
“
pulling stress
”
, tape extra lengths of lead wires to the skin in a loop
to prevent tugging on electrodes.
6. When removing electrodes, always remove by pulling in the direction of hair
growth.
7. It may be helpful to rub skin lotion on electrode placement area when not wear-
ing electrodes.
8. Never apply electrodes over irritated or broken skin.
Chapter 16: APPLICATION OF RE-USABLE SELF
ADHESIVE ELECTRODES
Application
1. Clean and dry the skin at the prescribed area thoroughly with soap and water
prior to application of electrodes.
2. Insert the lead wire into the pin connector on the pre-wired electrodes.
3. Remove the electrodes from the protective liner and apply the electrodes firmly
to the treatment site.
Removal
1. Lift at the edge of electrodes and peel; do not pull on the lead wires because it
may damage the electrodes.
trodes alongside the affected muscles or muscle groups, in such a way as to
direct the flow of current through or around the area.
DERMATOMES, MYOTOMES AND SCLEROTOMES
These are the regions of the body enervated by one spinal nerve. Electrode place-
ment involves both stimulating across the similarly enervated area and/or placing
one electrode (or set of electrodes) at the affected site and another electrode (set)
at the point where the nerve root joins the spinal cord.
MOTOR, TRIGGER AND ACUPUNCTURE POINTS
While these points of high tissue conductivity can differ in location and in theory of
use, their use as an electrode site is identical. The easiest technique involves
placing one pad directly over the point and completing the circuit by placing the
second pad on some area on the affected side. This second electrode site can
be within a nerve zone, or a master point located between the thumb and the
forefinger on the dorsal web area between the two metacarpal bones.
MULTIPLE PLACEMENT STRATEGIES
Because the EMS has two independently operated channels, the clinician may
take advantage of concurrent pad placement strategies.
For example, it is possible to use two different electrode placement strategies at
the same time. One channel can be used to directly stimulate the pain site in a
contiguous manner; the other channel can be placed along the involved dermatome
or utilized for point therapy.
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