---
title: "What Is EMS? TENS and Pain Glossary | Analgesic Healthcare"
description: "EMS, or electrical muscle stimulation, uses electrical current through electrodes to make muscles contract. It is different from TENS, which targets pain."
url: https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/ems
publisher: Analgesic Healthcare
phone: +1-800-749-1188
contact: https://analgesic.multisites.ai/contact
---

Therapy

# EMS

EMS, or electrical muscle stimulation, uses electrical current through electrodes to make muscles contract. It is different from TENS, which targets pain.

EMS stands for electrical muscle stimulation. A 2023 study in PMC describes EMS as activating muscles through electrical currents, which causes involuntary muscle contractions. Like [TENS](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/tens), EMS sends current through electrodes on the skin. The aim differs. TENS is described by FDA as a device to treat pain, while EMS is aimed at muscle activity. A related term is [NMES](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/nmes), which is the clinical name used when the goal is rehabilitation of a muscle. If your device has an EMS or NMES mode, ask your clinician which mode to use. Read the guide on [TENS vs EMS, NMES and interferential therapy](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/guides/tens-vs-ems-nmes-interferential).

## Related terms

-   [NMES](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/nmes)
-   [TENS](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/tens)
-   [Interferential current therapy](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/interferential-current-therapy)
-   [Electrotherapy](https://analgesic.multisites.ai/glossary/electrotherapy)

## Sources

1.  [PMC: Effects of electrical muscle stimulation on core muscle activation](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9875983/)
2.  [eCFR: 21 CFR 882.5890 Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator for pain relief](https://www.ecfr.gov/api/renderer/v1/content/enhanced/current/title-21?part=882&section=882.5890)

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