Balego EMS Digital Neuromuscular NMES Stimulator OTC

This is a nice portable NMES unit for fascititating muscles contractions. It’s two channel, so you can contract two muscles at the same time. I use it to cue my transverse ab muscle and glutes simultaneously when I do my Keegles post prostate removal.The challenge is to get the hertz adjusted so that you get a long/ wide contraction instead of a quick burst ( which is what’s it’s comes set as from the factory). To get a long duration setting I’ve set my unit o ( pressing the set button) ramp: 2 sec; on 14 sec; off 14 sec; width 50-60 us ( that’s microseconds) ; hz 32.; and then the duration of the exercise period from 1 to 59 minutes. Then press the mode button to the middle position of simultaneous ( shown at the top of the screen). Then, when the current comes on you exhale and hold your keegle for the duration of the zap.You turn the dials at the top to turn the unit on and off and to adjust the intensity of the current.This is so nice to have on while walking as it cues me to do my Keegles while walking or doing other exercises.It clips securely on my gym pants or easily fits in my pants pocket. Buy more batteries as one square battery will last for about a week with use at these settings twice a day. Buying batteries seems so much easier than recharging it as those typically don’t last as long.I would also recommend buying some more electrodes of the kind that will work for this unit ( the male/ female connector type and NOT the snap kind) . The single four electrode set that come with the unit is high quality. If you keep dirt and lotion off them and put the set back on the plastic and into the zip lock bag, one set should last you a few weeks.

My husband had a stroke. His occupational therapist recommended this unit to help his affected arm and hand. It’s easy to use and has helped him have movement in his hand. It’s like having an OT at your disposal!

The media could not be loaded. WHY THIS NMESI’m about three mouths out of shoulder replacement surgery and rehabbing a weak front deltoid muscleThere are essentially three main categories of these types of devices, each with a slightly different focus,TENS Units: Mainly for pain reliefEMS Units: Mainly for performanceNMES Units: Mainly for rehabilitationTENS and EMS units are easier to find and purchase and generally require less knowledge to function correctly.NMES units are typically provided by healthcare providers with a specific set of settings.INITIAL IMPRESSIONSThis NMES unit is well made. It is small in size, about the size of a deck of cards and weighs about 150 grams. The knobs turn freely and smoothly but are not loose. It has a flip up cover for the knobs so you don’t accidently bump them and change the intensity of the therapy being delivered by mistake.It also has a flip up cover for the buttons that change the settings.The button layout is intuitive, this is not one of those devices that has one button that needs to be pushed in a complex order to change one setting.The menu navigation is straightforward and easy to use.The manual is OK, it gives you the ranges for all of the settings but doesn’t really provide any guidance on how you set them. I believe this is due to this device being used under the direction of a healthcare professional.No assembly is required other than installing the included 9v battery and attaching the included electrodes.COMPARISON TO OTHER DEVICESI’ve never had a NMES unit but I have had multiple consumer grade TENS units. My general impression is that TENS units come with a lot of preprogrammed options do not offer as much customization as this NMES unit. That can be good or bad depending on ones need and knowledgeSome Pros and ConsPROSSolidly builtMore programble than most TENS unitsDual independent channelsDelivers good stimulus to musclesCarrying caseEasy assemblySmall and portableBattery includedStarter electrodes includedCONSInstructions don’t provide guidance on programing for a specific results (e.g. how should set the pulse width and rate for a specific purpose)In 2024, these type of units should come with replaceable rechargeable batteryOnly includes 4 electrodes. 1st time users will probably get these dirty just trying to find the correct location to put them on their bodyOVERALLI am satisfied with my purchase, but I am giving this 4 stars because of the manual, not taking rechargeable batteries, and only having 4 electrodes included. I especially see people being disappointed with this when the included pads start falling off after a few uses.This unit is highly programmable. You have different channels that can be running different settings at the same time which makes for some unique combinations of therapies. If you are just looking for pain relief, then a prep-programmed TENS unit might be a better choice because it takes the guesswork out of it, but if you want a more customized approach this Balego NMES unit works great.SOME TIPS ON USEFor the muscle you want to targe, do a web search and find the origin and insertion points and place the electrodes just inside those pointsMy Recommended 1st Time SettingsPulse width = 50Pulse rate = 150Ramp Time = 8On Time = 60 secondsOff Time = 5 secondsMode = SynchronizedChannels = start 1 just 1 channel using two electrodesDial = Set 1Once it starts, slow turn the dial until you start to feel the stimulus.After that, you should be comfortable with how the controls work, then you can start adjusting controls for the desired outcome.Explanation of Controls and SettingsFor the Weakest / Least Painful settingPulse width = 50Pulse rate = 150Gain = 1For the Strongest / Most Painful settingPulse width = 300Pulse Rate = 1Gain = 8PULSE WIDTH: The higher the number, the longer the pulse lasts and the stronger you will feel the stimulus given all of the settings remain constant.PULSE RATE: The lower the number the stronger you will feel the stimulus given all of the settings remain constant.ON TIME: How long the stimulus is activeOFF TIME: The rest period where no stimulus is giveRAMP TIME: How long after the ON TIME cycle starts till full stimulus is reached. The higher the number the more gradual the stimulus. Setting to 1, would apply the full stimulus once the ON TIME starts, 8 would be a gradual ramp up.

And how to use it.Most of the unhappy reviews here are because users (clearly) have no clue what NMES is. I didn't either when I bought it and was so disappointed that I stopped using it.Recently tried using again after reading up on it. Placement of the pads is critically important. Once I took the time to actually determine exactly where my muscle bellies were, my results improved dramatically. Then started experimenting with frequencies and widths. Even more Improvements were noticed. I now do several daily sessions with different frequencies, and am getting amazing results. Leg has started rapidly improving after almost nothing for the months when I didn't use NMES.You can change settings on the fly. For people who have no idea where to start, I suggest the following:15 minutes15 seconds on20 seconds off3 second ramp45 Hz300 msec widthMake changes during the off cycle, when the CHn display on the top line is not present. For experimenting, initially set intensity knob where you can feel pulses, but they are not painful. You don't want any unpleasant surprises when the next cycle starts. If you feel very little sensation at high settings, check your pad placements. Are you SURE you have them across a muscle belly? Odds are good that you don't.Take the time to figure what works for you and you will probably really like this unit. It works well and can be very helpful, but it is not a toy. You have to think and work with it if you want the benefits.

I was hesitant to buy something like this, but it's doing the trick quite well. I'm using it to rehab a atrophied calf muscle. The power is nice, and tho it seemed a bit cheap - everything works very well, the knobs are very sturdy, and the plug-ins are robust. Nice machine, I recommend.