NES
Meaning of NES: NES applies small electrical impulses to weak or paralyzed muscles to help maintain strength, circulation, and range of motion.
Definition of NES
NES, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, is a therapeutic technique that applies small electrical impulses through electrodes placed on the skin to stimulate contraction of an underlying muscle that is weak, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to contract normally on its own.
The electrical impulses cause the targeted muscle to contract much as it would with voluntary movement, which can help maintain muscle strength and bulk, improve local blood circulation, preserve joint range of motion, and reduce muscle spasm in a limb or area affected by injury, surgery, or a neurological condition.
NES is typically applied as part of a broader rehabilitation program rather than as a standalone treatment, and the specific settings used, including the strength and pattern of the electrical impulses, are adjusted according to the muscle being treated and the reason for its use.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
NES was used as part of the patient's rehabilitation program following knee surgery.
Good to know
NES stimulates muscle contraction directly through an electrical impulse rather than through the person's own nerve signal, distinguishing it from techniques that instead target the nerve supplying the muscle.