The aim of a first session is to learn what your unit does, not to find its limits. Use two self-adhesive pads on one thigh. It's a big muscle, well away from the chest, and easy to see and reach.

Read E-Stim Safety first. If any of the "who shouldn't use it" points apply to you, stop there.

Before you start#

  • Read the unit's own manual. Where it disagrees with anything here, follow the manual.
  • Fit fresh batteries, or make sure it's charged and unplugged from the charger.
  • Check the leads for kinks, cracks or bare wire.
  • Pick a time when you're awake, sober and won't be interrupted.
  • Make sure the skin is clean, dry and unbroken. Lotion and oil stop pads sticking and block the current.

Setting up#

  1. Unit off, levels at zero.
  2. Plug the lead into channel A and push the two pins fully into the two pads.
  3. Stick both pads on the front of one thigh, a hand's width apart. Press them down all over, edges included.
  4. Check the pads aren't touching each other.
  5. Choose the plainest mode the unit has, usually a steady or "continuous" one.

Bringing it up#

  1. Switch on. You should feel nothing yet.
  2. Raise the level one step at a time, pausing for a few seconds between steps.
  3. Stop at the first faint tingle. That's your threshold.
  4. Go a little higher until the feeling is clear but comfortable, then leave it there for a minute.

It's normal for the sensation to fade after a while as the nerves get used to it. Resist the urge to keep chasing it upwards. Changing the pattern works better than adding power.

Things to try#

Turn the level down a few steps before each change, then bring it back up.

  • Change the pulse rate. Slow feels like separate taps. Fast blurs into a smooth buzz.
  • Change the pulse length, if your unit lets you. Longer pulses feel deeper and stronger at the same level.
  • Try another mode. Waves and ramps feel very different from steady pulses.
  • Move the pads. Turn the level to zero first. Closer together feels shallower, further apart feels deeper.

What's normal and what isn't#

Normal: tingling, tapping, buzzing, a pulling or squeezing feeling, and the muscle twitching at higher levels.

Stop and check: a sharp sting or a hot, prickly spot under part of a pad. That usually means poor contact. Turn down, switch off and re-seat the pad. See E-Stim Troubleshooting.

Stop for the day: pain, cramp, feeling dizzy or unwell, or skin that looks marked or blistered.

Finishing#

  1. Turn the level down to zero.
  2. Switch the unit off.
  3. Peel the pads off by the pad, not the wire, and put them back on their backing sheet.
  4. Look at the skin. A little pinkness that fades in a few minutes is common. A mark that stays or feels sore is a mild burn: stop using that spot until it's healed and work out what caused it before you try again.

Keep the first session short. Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty.

Next steps#