the completion of the procedure.

According to the intensity of mechanical irritation, the souls are arranged as follows in order of increasing effect: rain, needle, fan, circular, underwater massage shower, Charcot shower.

The main role in modern programs to get rid of excess weight and correction of cosmetic defects is given to hardware techniques, due to which contractile thermogenesis is enhanced, metabolism in adipocytes is activated and congestion in adipose tissue is eliminated.

The vast majority of electrical procedures used in weight loss programs are based on the use of pulsed current. Lymphatic drainage, lipolysis, myostimulation - the names that are on everyone's lips. It is in these procedures that a pulsed current is used.

One of the first procedures prescribed in programs for reducing excess body weight and body shaping is lymphatic drainage. At the heart of most pathological processes occurring in the body, including overweight and cellulite, are microcirculation disorders and the development of congestion, which is associated with impaired lymphatic drainage and accumulation of cell metabolism products in the intercellular spaces.

To make it easier for you to understand why microcirculation is disturbed and tissue congestion develops, we need to briefly review the structure and functioning of the circulatory and lymphatic systems.

Blood, rich in oxygen and nutrients, is delivered to all tissues of the body through arteries, which gradually decrease in diameter and branch into capillaries. Capillaries are the most functionally important section of the circulatory system, since it is in them that the exchange between blood and intercellular fluid takes place. The liquid part of the blood - plasma, passes through the vascular wall and turns into interstitial fluid. It nourishes the cells and at the same time takes away the toxic products of their vital activity. The intercellular fluid is excreted from the tissues by veins and lymphatic vessels. The part of the interstitial fluid that is excreted by the lymphatic vessels is called lymph.

The lymphatic system plays a huge role in the human body. All tissues, with the exception of the superficial layers of the skin, central nervous system and bone tissue, are permeated with lymphatic capillaries, closed at one end. Lymphatic capillaries gather into larger lymphatic vessels, which empty into veins in several places. Inorganic substances, sugars, fats and proteins easily pass through the walls of the lymphatic capillaries, and protein particles much larger than those passing through the walls of the venules. On the paths of lymph flow there are peculiar filters - lymph nodes, in which it is cleansed of toxins and enriched with immune cells. Normally, up to two liters of lymph are produced.

The pressure in the lymphatic vessels is extremely low, and therefore the rate of lymph flow is relatively low. The walls of the larger lymphatic vessels contain smooth muscle cells, and the lymph moves through them thanks to the rhythmic contractions of these cells. In addition, there are valves on the inner surface of the walls of the lymphatic vessels that prevent the reverse flow of lymph. There are no smooth muscle cells and valves in the lymphatic capillaries, so the lymph flow in them is carried out thanks to the so-called lymphatic pump - contractions of the skeletal muscles. At the same time, both in the lymphatic vessels and in the venules, due to temporary compression of these vessels by the surrounding tissues, the pressure rises, and the speed of the lymph flow can increase 15 times. Due to this, the lymphatic system performs another very important function - drainage, that is, it prevents the accumulation of fluid in the interstitial space. If lymph drainage is disturbed, lymphostasis develops, or local edema (lymphatic edema).

All activities aimed at activating the lymphatic system are called lymphatic drainage. There are several ways to improve lymphatic drainage function. They can be divided into manual (lymphatic drainage massage), medical (local vascular preparations, various types of wraps), as well as hardware techniques, which I will discuss in this chapter.

Hardware techniques that improve tissue drainage include:

• impulse currents: consecutive stimulation of muscles and microcurrent stimulation of lymph nodes;

• pressotherapy;

• vacuum therapy.

Lymphatic drainage is at the heart of any weight loss and cellulite treatment program. As a result of its action, excess fluid and metabolic products are removed from the body as a whole or from individual problem areas, which leads to a decrease in tissue swelling. The tissues are cleared of waste products, and their receptor apparatus becomes more sensitive to other medical procedures.

When using pulse The current stimulates the skeletal muscles, and this causes the muscles to contract and put pressure on the surrounding tissues. Lymph begins to move to larger vessels and enters the venous system through them. Activated skeletal muscles, as it were, squeeze out excess fluid from the tissues.

Procedures are carried out both on special devices for lymphatic drainage and on devices for electromyostimulation. The electrodes are positioned to provide a consistent wave of contractions from the periphery to the center. Modern devices are equipped with at least four channels for sixteen electrodes, providing an annular mode of operation.

The procedures are well tolerated by patients and are subjectively felt as a kind of stroking. The latest generation devices are equipped with a cardiosensor, which is put on the patient's finger, which makes it possible to synchronize muscle contractions with heart contractions.

The effectiveness of the procedure does not depend on the intensity of the current. For optimal lymph drainage, pulsed currents with ultra-low frequencies, 40-60 Hz, are sufficient. A visually correct procedure is accompanied by a slight visible contraction of the skeletal muscles, and nothing more. Intensive muscle contractions should not be! Clinical practice shows that the optimal time for one procedure is 30 minutes. Procedures are carried out every other day or 2 times a week. Depending on the severity of lymphostasis, the duration of the course application of lymphatic drainage procedures is from 5 to 20 minutes, but sometimes this is not enough. A greater effect can be obtained with the simultaneous use of electromyostimulation, while the procedures are carried out on the same day. Lymphatic drainage procedures can also be combined with massage, body wraps, ultrasound therapy.

A type of lymphatic drainage is pressotherapy. During the procedure, the legs are placed in special double boots and, with the help of a compressor, air is rhythmically pumped between the layers of these boots. In this case, the legs are compressed under pressure up to 60 mm Hg, which leads to compression of the underlying tissues, leading to an acceleration of the lymph flow. Simultaneously with lymphatic drainage of tissues, microcirculation in them is also activated. Pressotherapy is used for cellulite, edema and circulatory disorders in the legs. However it must be borne in mind that with thrombophlebitis of the veins of the lower extremities and trophic disorders of vascular origin, this procedure cannot be performed. Pressotherapy itself is not an independent method of treating overweight, but a good addition to complex programs. The procedures are usually carried out daily for 20-30 minutes, and the full course is 10 procedures.

Lymphatic drainage also belongs to the group of procedures based on enhancing lipolysis by increasing energy expenditure. The fact is that the movement of lymph through the lymphatic system requires certain energy costs. In addition, thanks to lymphatic drainage, the intercellular spaces are timely released from the toxins located there, which gives dynamics to the process of fat oxidation and a decrease in body volume.

Electromyostimulation is one of the most popular hardware procedures. The therapeutic effect is based on the stimulation of skeletal and smooth muscle contractions. This is a kind of passive gymnastics for various muscles. Yes, there is gymnastics! This is a targeted high intensity workout! If during any physical work different muscle groups simultaneously take part in it, then with electromyostimulation - muscle groups that are only in the zone of contact with the electrodes. At the same time, the effect of several sessions is equivalent to a special strength training for several weeks, or even months. It has been established that one session lasting 17 minutes is equivalent to a three-hour workout in the fitness room. In this case, not only a linear contraction and relaxation of the muscle elements occurs, but also a torsion twisting of the muscles, which cannot be reproduced independently. With such training, the muscles expend a large amount of energy, which is formed due to the oxidation of fat in the fiber adjacent to the working muscle. As a result of passive muscle contractions, lymph drainage is further enhanced, peripheral vessels dilate and blood flow is activated, and consequently, swelling of the deep layers of the skin decreases, skin relief is restored, and most importantly, the volume of fat cells decreases. In addition, a kind of muscle pumping occurs, due to which the muscular relief appears or is even more emphasized. Thus, electromyostimulation procedures are used for body shaping and modeling of certain areas of the body.

And yet, despite the rapid and clearly visible effect, electromyostimulation is not a mono-procedure for weight loss. With its help, you can significantly reduce the volume of the body, but not the mass. Patients are often completely delighted when, after one session, the waist circumference is reduced by several centimeters, but this effect fades very quickly. After all, the mass of fat cells did not decrease, but only tissue edema decreased and muscle tone increased. But don't despair! All you need is patience! Sustainable positive changes will appear a little later, since the effect accumulates gradually as a result of such muscle training. If you do not want to do fitness or strength exercises, the course use of electromyostimulation can be