For those who know me you will realise I can bang on about things when I have an injury. My ankle injury is the latest in a long line, and it has been troublesome since February.
With the assistance of an ankle support I have been trying to address a troublesome fallen arch which may have contributed.
The device itself looks like a smartphone. You then plug cables into the device which provide the electrical charge – whether that’s through patches, the Korband used for long muscle and back pain – or through its flip-flops and gloves.
The Mi-Touch, applies three types of bioelectrical pulses through the skin: microcurrent (MCS), neuromuscular stimulation (NMS) and peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS).
There are two settings which can address injury and pain management, one for recovery – usually after a workout, a setting aiming to improve performance, and self-treatment. The settings have four intensity stages each. Accompanying it is a guide demonstrating where pads need to be placed when it comes to treating certain pain. The range of settings probably demonstrates its £399 price tag.
The two settings I’ve mainly used have been to treat injury to a decent intensity and recovery. Often I haven’t gone to the highest of settings – I wrote part of this while ‘recovering’ with setting three on my back and ankle following an hour on an exercise bike and a 45-minute weight session.
On my back was the Korband, which when treating back ache following a workout applies some needle-like treatment. The feeling is good, and there are times if I try and speak with the intensity turned up, I can humorously resemble the Crazy Frog. There are times when the needle like sensations can feel so sharp, it feels like I am getting a tattoo.
Despite the sharp sensations, it seems to do the trick, whenever I have applied it there barely seems to be an ache or pain attached to my back afterwards.
With the patches applied to either side of my ankle, the electrode effect feels like the ankle is gradually being squeezed and release – imagine yourself with a stress ball. My ankle is the ball. It has been noticeable when there are days without use; sharper pains and heavier limps return – and at the moment it seems that one treatment of 20 minutes a day is worth it for giving the muscles in that area some attention.
A friend of mine who works in professional sport suggests that electrode-type devices can be used to stimulate muscle tissue and try to aid recovery. Whether it’s doing the trick remains to be seen as it’s a long process. But the Nurokor MiTouch certainly feels like a device that can aid recovery from injury or muscle pain.
