In recent weeks, the wedding reception trend common mini electric massager . The challenge seems simple: drink a full glass of water with the device on your arm
Anyone who has watched the videos or tried it at home knows that taking a sip is, at the very least, complicated, due to muscle contraction.
A CNN spoke to experts to understand how it works and what the risks of the viral internet device are.
How does the mini massager work?
The device, in fact, is an electrical stimulator. Unlike massagers, which physically stimulate the body with movements and temperature changes, this one emits low-voltage electrical pulses, that is, it gives small shocks in contact with the skin — which is capable of influencing our motor system.
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Muscle movements are coordinated by our brain through the nervous system, a network of neurons that send information through electrical signals.
According to Raquel Aparecida Casarotto, professor of the FMUSP course (Physiotherapy at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo), muscle contraction can be induced electrically: by depositing an electric current in a location in the muscle, it leaves the resting condition. and contracts.
And that is precisely what the mini massager promotes when it comes into contact with the skin. The electrical current reaches the nearest muscles, which contract involuntarily.
Is it good for your health?
Medical interventions with electrical stimuli are called electrotherapy, which is prescribed on an individual basis, with a specific type of current, frequency, intensity and duration for a given treatment.
Studies indicate that electrical impulses can release analgesic substances and inhibit the transmission of painful impulses to the brain, which reduces pain.
However, the indiscriminate use of shocks, and without professional guidance, can be harmful to health. Prolonged contraction of the muscle can compress the blood vessels to the point of reducing blood circulation and, therefore, oxygenation in the region. At high intensities, the load can even damage tissue.
Fátima Caromano, also a professor at the Department of Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy (Fofito) at FMUSP, warns that for those looking for muscle relaxation, the device is contraindicated. “The relaxation massage is light, gentle, with large maneuvers and very slow,” she explains.
According to the teacher, a hot water bottle can be more useful, along with learning not to overload the painful area during activities. “There’s no point in putting on your bag and continuing to have your shoulders overloaded, especially when using computers and cell phones,” she adds.
The use of equipment is also contraindicated in areas of the uterus for pregnant women and in places where open wounds are treated. Cancer patients who have pacemakers and other types of electrical or metallic implants that come out of the skin should also not use the equipment.
For people with epilepsy, shocks can trigger seizures, especially if applied to the head and neck. The growth of children can also be harmed by the use of electrical stimulators in the epiphysis region (end of the long bones).
*(Under supervision of editor Caroline Apple)
Source: CNN Brasil
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