As a busy professional and active athlete in the fitness space my body needs all the recovery help it can get. After dialing in my food, water, sleep and supplements, I began looking at other alternatives to add to my muscle recovery methods. Like you, the biggest thing I want to do is not just improve my performance both in and out of the gym, but I also want to stay as injury free as possible. That’s where the Compex® Edge™ 3.0 Muscle Stimulator with a TENS Kit can really come in handy, just as it did for me. The next generation of recovery methods is here and in this Compex® muscle stimulator review, I’m going to cover all the bases on why you’re not going to want to pass up adding the Compex® Edge™ 3.0 to your routine.

Compex® Review: Why Use A Muscle Stimulator In The First Place

I was first introduced to the Compex® Edge™ after overtraining and ended up in my physical therapists office, at The Health Lab. After some testing and dry needling for my overly tight abductors and glute medius that were locking up my knee and causing such bad inflammation I couldn’t straighten my knee, I was sent home with the Compex Edge™ 3.0 Muscle Stimulator with some exercise and recovery homework. At first, I shrugged it off. My PT gave me this little box of technology and I was honestly a little apprehensive at first. Why is this going to help? What is it going to do that I can’t do on my own? I’m not a professional athlete, why do I need such an expensive muscle zapper? These are just some of the thoughts going through my head as I drove back home. And maybe too, these are some of the thoughts going through your head.

I’m sure you’ve seen that the home recovery market has a wide range of tools from TENS units to EMS products, massage guns, vibrating foam rollers, and more. So why would you buy this one? And what has been my experience with the product, how did it help me recover and how do I use it now in my regular routine? I’ll get to those questions and more, but first, let’s start with learning more about the company Compex® first and why they’re the most reputable option for your muscle stimulator unit selection.

What Is Compex®

Compex® isn’t a newer company to the space by any means. They’ve been in business for over 30 years, hailing from Switzerland, with a main focus in physiotherapy, pain treatment and sports training. They’re arguably the frontrunner in electro stimulation technology and research as well as one of the top chosen brands for both health care professionals, athletes, and now with the at home recovery community of people looking to take their body and performance to the next level.

Compex® is also a leader in innovation and the brand that introduced the first wireless electro muscle stimulator (EMS) in the world to offer professional training with safe and effective muscular contraction for a complete workout, before, during, and after training. Another notable about the brand is that they’re a brand of the DJO Group, which is a supplier of high-quality, orthopedic devices, that supplies directly to healthcare professionals and sports professionals alike addressing the complete spectrum of preventative, pre-operative, post-operative, clinical and home rehabilitation care.

While yes, just about any user to actively apply and implement the technology that Compex® offers, Compex® is also a chosen brand with innovative products that healthcare and sports professionals trust in. With this company you’re not just buying ‘something on the internet’. Instead, you’re investing in years of research and proven technology to assist you with recovery, injury prevention, optimal performance, and unparalleled expertise available right at your fingertips (no wonder my PT had this product on hand!).

Compex® Edge™ 3.0 Muscle Stimulator (EMS) Benefits

The Compex® Edge™ 3.0 Muscle Stimulator is an at-home recovery device that falls mid-range price wise in the Compex® product lineup. An EMS (electro muscle stimulator) is a device that takes electrodes from a device (in this case the blue handheld and waterproof device) through wires, to the patches, and into the muscles that the patches are on. This stimulation causes the muscles to contract and relax, based on the selected programming and goal. There are a few different settings that you can use, such as endurance, recovery, resistance, and training recovery. 

As compared to others on the market, there are some pretty great benefits of choosing this product over the others, such as:

• FDA Cleared
• Increase Explosive Strength: activate fast twitch Type II muscle fibers to improve strength and reduce fatigue
• Reduce Muscle & Joint Damage: with powerful contractions that mimic weight bearing exercises you can build strength without the wear and tear on the muscles and joints
• Avoid Training Fatigue: increase blood flow, reduce lactic acid levels, and recuperate better from fatigue
• Faster Recovery: improve oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles, flush out lactic acid, and prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
• Pain Management: decrease the intensity of pain and increase motion and function

Other benefits include a waterproof case and up to 8 hours of battery life easy to refuel with a USB charger.

What Does The EDGE™ 3.0 Come With

Complete with every purchase of the Compex® EDGE™ 3.0 you’ll receive the muscle stimulator unit, 4 units of the 2.4 snap electrodes, 8 units of the 2x2 dual snap electrodes, 4 color coded lead wires that plug into the bottom of the device, a USB charger, as well a convenient and compact carrying case for all the above items. You can also access a downloadable quick start guide that you can access anytime from a computer device.

How Compex® Edge™ EMS Works

The main goal of this device is to help stimulate your nerve fibers from the electrical impulses. In my experience, some devices are hard to control and can really cause a lot of discomfort while they're applied to your body. In the case of the Compex® Edge™ 3.0 I was extremely surprised with the quality of the stimulation and how appropriate it felt to apply to my body in a controlled and effective manner. So not only are you stimulating your muscle nerve fiber responses, but you're also able to sit in comfort and enjoy the experience, rather than sit there in pain. Because let's be honest, nobody wants that.

Electrostimulation can be a very effective way to help make your muscles work:

• With significant improvement of different muscular qualities
• Without cardio-vascular or mental fatigue
• With limited stress on the joints and tendons

When I used the product to do my 'physical therapy homework' I used both the TENS (I'll get to that in a minute) as well as the EMS. On the EMS setting I specifically used it for both recovery and strength building for the weak areas of my leg that we're focusing on in both training and the PT office. I didn't notice much difference in the moment, but over a few weeks, I did start to see improvements in my next day recovery as well as small strength gains in my movements, which was incredible, especially after having so much pain with these movements prior to using the EDGE™ unit.

RELATED ARTICLE TENS vs EMS

How Compex® Edge™ TENS Works

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, otherwise known as TENS, is another benefit of using this next-gen muscle recovery device offered by Compex®. TENS, unlike EMS, deliver electrical pulses through the skin to the cutaneous (surface) and afferent (deep) nerves to help control pain. Unlike drugs and topical ointments, TENS does not have any systemic side effects. So if you're one of those people who pops ibuprofen regularly, then this system setting is going to really be for you.

There are two ways TENS helps provide pain relief: 

1. Gate Control Mechanism
2. Pain Control Endorphin Release

Without going into too much depth, TENS units help moderate the pain signals sent to the brain while also simultaneously triggering the body's natural pain killers, called endorphins. In my situation, I used the TENS for the more acute pain when I first was addressing the leg and knee pain, the switched to EMS as my injury improved.

Available Compex® Programs

• Endurance: helps you cope with long duration aerobic activities and increases muscle resistance to fatigue by building slow twitch muscle fibers
• Resistance: An all-around program for endurance and strength, building both slow and fast twitch muscle fibers
• Training Recovery/Active Recovery: Facilitates relaxation aid of muscles and helps reduce muscle soreness and stiffness following competition or demanding workouts
• Pain Relief/TENS: Helps decrease the intensity of pain and increase motion and function

Compex® Pad Placement

The Compex® pad placement is made extremely easy because of the visuals available on the EDGE™ unit itself. As you can see from the image above, after you select your program you will be prompted to select which area of the body you'll be addressing. On that area of the body, you'll be directed on how and where to place the sticky pads for the best application and use.

If you're looking for instructional videos on how to maximize the use and benefit of your Compex® unit as well as other tools for strength and recovery, check out the Compex® YouTube channel.

Compex® EDGE™ 3.0 Muscle Stimulator Review: Takeaway

All in all, in my own personal experience I believe that the EDGE™ 3.0 muscle stimulator didn't just accelerate my recovery, but it works to keep my body in tip top shape for optimal performance both in and out of the gym. However, don't just take my word for it. After learning more about the company and knowing just how trusted the brand and the products are, by healthcare professionals and sports professionals alike, it is hard to beat over 30 years of experience, research, and expertise. By investing in this product you're joining a brand that has your best interest at heart, and trust me when I say, your body will thank you later.

Trying To Optimize Your Post-workout Recovery? Try The Compex® Edge™ 3.0 With Tens NOW

 

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