Posts Tagged low frequency electro-stimulation therapy
[WEB SITE] About Mollii – Mollii
Posted by Kostas Pantremenos in Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), Spasticity, Tele/Home Rehabilitation on September 14, 2019
What is Mollii?
Mollii is a suit consisting of a pair of trousers, a jacket and a detachable control unit. The Mollii garments includes 58 imbedded electrodes, positioned to stimulate 40 key muscles in the body. Through a low frequency electro-stimulation therapy, Mollii relaxes spastic, tense and aching muscles safely and simply. Programmed after each person’s needs, Mollii prevents and counteracts different forms of muscle shortening and rigidity, helps the user regain control over muscular tension, and reduces pain related to spasticity. In addition, through electro-stimulation settings, Mollii may facilitate the activation of muscles, and thereby may facilitate muscle contractions, which in turn enable movements.
Who uses Mollii?
Mollii is used by people who suffer from spasticity and spasticity-related pain, which is typically found in people with cerebral palsy, stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, acquired brain damages and other neurological injuries that result from or create motor disabilities, and generally induce pain. Mollii is used both by adults and children; and is available in men and women sizes starting from 104 cm. up to XXXL.
Mollii can be used in both a home and clinic environment; and is simple to use for all ages. Users dress-up with a Mollii the same way they would with an ordinary garment. There is a button for on/off and a button for play/ pause. A single push of the button starts the muscle stimulation, which proceeds automatically for 60 minutes, and has a lasting positive effect for up to 48 hours.”
How does it work?
Mollii stimulates the antagonist to the spastic muscle. If the bicep is spastic, the tricep is stimulated, which in turn makes the bicep relaxed. Relaxing the muscle enables active movements and a gradual improvement in function, while the body keeps this positive effect for up to 48 hours. The physiological mechanism is called reciprocal inhibition.
Mollii also reduces pain related to spasticity, both through the reciprocal inhibition, and via the gate control theory of pain, which asserts that non-painful input such as the electric stimulation of skin-nerves closes the nerve-gates to painful input, which prevents pain sensation from traveling to the central nervous system.
Moreover, Mollii may facilitate the sub-threshold stimulation of a muscle by preparing the muscle for contraction before generating a shortening of the muscle, thereby reducing the nerve signal-strength required by the patient to actually generate a muscle contraction.
It is a safe and simple assistive device that can increase quality of life and help recover faster motor functions. The device is used for one hour every second day. For optimum effect, Mollii should be used together with physiotherapy, training, activity and movement. The positive effect is individual and remains for up to 48 hours.
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