Which Electrode Should I Use For TENS & NMES Treatment?
Written By: Robert Remington
Choosing your Electrode.
Electrodes are easily overlooked by therapists and patients as an important component to delivering quality and precise treatment from their electrotherapy devices. Aside from the size of the electrode needed, many people select electrodes solely on price.
Not all electrodes are created equal. Your electrodes are the last point of contact on the body and are critical for delivering safe, consistent, and quality treatments. Much like the tires on your car are the last point of contact to the road the higher the quality the better the performance. We would like to introduce two concepts
Impedance
Electrical Impedance (measured in Ohms) indicates the total resistance in an electrical circuit. It is a dynamic term but simply put, the higher the impedance, the greater the voltage that is required to achieve a given current.
Impedance = Resistance.
When we run, wind resistance forces us to use more energy to maintain a consistent pace. The same theory applies to an electrode. Every electrode has a certain amount of resistance. The lower the resistance, the easier it is for electricity current to flow, resulting in a more conductive surface. It is always safer to achieve a desired effect with a lower intensity. If you are using a high-quality electrotherapy device, a low impedance electrode will deliver clean current through the skin ,which in itself has varying degrees of resistance
Dirty or oily skin increase resistance, so it is always recommended to clean the skin from oils and any debris prior to applying any electrode.
Consistency
It is important that each electrode being used performs the same repeatedly. High quality electrodes are manufactured from high quality components. The proprietary hydrogel used in manufacturing the Remarkable electrode also allows for multiple applications, saving money for your clinic or patient.
Electrode manufacturers all use a standard testing device to measure the quality of the electrodes The manufacturer will determine the pass/fail threshold for the price and quality that customers are prepared to pay. This is where it gets interesting. Remington Medical acquired the same device that manufacturers use all over the world. The SEAM 10 is a precise diagnostic instrument that measures the impedance and consistency of any electrode. We test the impedance level and consistency of various brands of electrodes against our newly developed Remarkable brand. The results gave us a clear winner.
Remarkable electrodes demonstrated the he lowest impedance value by a significant margin compared to leading brand electrodes Remington Medical tested. The value indicates the amount of energy that is wasted as current passes through the electrode. The lower the value the more efficient the electrode. Remarkable electrodes were often two to three times more efficient than the more expensive leading brands on the market.
High quality electrodes prevent hot spots or burns and more importantly provided a more comfortable treatment for the patient.
Test your current electrodes on our Seam 10 testing device. We use a consistent bench test methodology and record all test results for you to see.
Try a sample of our Remarkable electrodes Here, your patients will be thankful you did.
