Is it safe to use electro-stimulation devices such as the butterfly massager for the chest muscles?

Question

http://www.amazon.com/XFT-XFT1002-Butterfly-Massager/dp/B00065HNWM

Am wary of using it as the heart also belongs to a muscle group.

Answer 1

you can't use any electrical devices over the heart. nor can you use them on the front of the neck (over the carotid arteries).

there is probably information about this in very tiny print on the instruction sheet, but most people don't read this stuff.  you can't put it over any metal implants or use it on someone who has a pacemaker either.

i am a chiropractor & use electric stim in my office-

Answer 2

The answer in general is yes.  But this device will not build muscle or strengthem muscle.  Electro-stim is a poor way to work muscles.  Really the only one that works OK is called Russian stim.  But Russian stim is very expensive.  

You see with the little gizmo you are talking about you cannor recruit enough muscle fibers to be effective and even if you could the intensity of the contraction is not high enough.  

Stick with regular training for your chest muscles and other muscles.

Answer 3

Check with the manufacturer and a doctor to make sure, no matter what you hear on here. As far as I know, to shock the heart you have to put one pad on the side... so it looks ok.

Are you using it to relax muscles or build them? It'll work great to relax, but building muscle like that is silly...

Again, I stress checking with a doctor and the manufacturer before using this product.