First Whole-Body Muscle Stimulation Device Emulates Plyometric Exercise

Sponsored by Sofwave Medical Ltd.

As the field of muscle stimulation devices for aesthetic, wellness and functional medicine continues to broaden via new and emerging entries, unique standouts will rise to the top.

Kevin A. Wilson

July 22, 2024

5 Min Read
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As the field of muscle stimulation devices for aesthetic, wellness and functional medicine continues to broaden via new and emerging entries, unique standouts will rise to the

Screenshot_2024-07-22_at_3.11.07_PM.pngtop. One such new and noteworthy entry, the Pure Impact™ from Sofwave Medical Ltd. (Yoqneam, Israel), harnesses the latest-generation direct electric muscle stimulation (EMS) technology in the first ever full-body device.

While the field of muscle stimulation itself is not new, when joined with the current climate of incredible success being experienced by GLP-1 agonists for weight loss, Jason Pozner, MD, plastic surgeon and owner of Sanctuary Plastic Surgery (Boca Raton, Fla.) emphasized that Pure Impact “has come at just the right time. Other devices have laid the groundwork and created demand, and the emergence of GLP-1 medications is adding fuel to the fire. Also, Pure Impact delivers results safely with very little risk or downtime.”

Pure Impact not only represents the first fullbody EMS device, but also an innovation in implementation strategy and marketing. The ‘device’ is actually an add-on module for the flagship Sofwave™ platform, which brings with it a unique and intriguing set of benefi ts whose possibilities will make practitioners take more than a second glance.

“This non-invasive treatment piggybacks on the Sofwave platform I already love and rely on, and provides previously unseen results,” said dermatologist Jessica Weiser, MD, medical director and founder of Weiser Skin MD (New York City, N.Y.). “I have had the previous generation muscle stimulation technologies and those did not physiologically replicate what muscles actually do when one performs full-body exercises. That is what elevates Pure Impact above the rest, in my experience.”

Gregory Mueller, MD, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, Calif., agreed. “Patients have always wanted non-invasive treatments with low downtime that deliver better results faster, with fewer hassles and less discomfort, but the evolution of nonsurgical body contouring technologies has been remarkable,” he expressed. “It started with therapies to tighten skin. Then came energy-based reduction of subcutaneous fat and combination platforms as well. For a while the industry skirted the edge of real results, but over the last decade the more profound outcomes have driven demand as well as development; there was substance to the hype. Energy-based body shaping devices have proliferated and they work. The emergence of muscle stimulation has taken this to an unexpected next level, and that has further boosted demand. We can now build from the bottom up as well as from the skin down. What we can do now is miles ahead of anything we dared hope for even a decade ago.”

And the appearance of GLP-1 on top of that has added fertilizer for growth. “GLP-1 is revolutionary, and I believe it is going to be one of the biggest things we see in the medical industry in our lifetime,” Dr. Mueller stated.

“Right now, in my practice the percentage of patients using these drugs successfully is extraordinary. Diet, exercise, weight loss surgery and everything else works, but it seems as if nothing can help you shed those stubborn 20 or 30 pounds like the drugs. It is incredible and I cannot stress it enough.

“Any rapid weight loss will lead to skin laxity and may also lead to loss of muscle mass as well, which is not ideal and negatively affects metabolism. Screenshot_2024-07-22_at_3.12.00_PM.pngToday’s technology can address these aesthetic and functional health concerns, and Pure Impact is perfect for doing so,” he added.

EMS has been present and under serious study for medical use since the 1960s, but only recently has experienced widespread practical application in aesthetic medicine with the kind of exciting results that brought about a revolution. It is about more than just appearance and muscle definition. The functional and wellness benefi ts are very real, but still very much under exploration, and often difficult to describe without pushing regulatory boundaries.

Noticeable improvement in core strength and posture brings with it numerous functional benefi ts. “With this and other EMS devices patients often come for an extra boost for muscle rehab after surgery or injury, and they report a noticeable positive impact, which has certainly made this class of devices more appealing,” Dr. Pozner shared. “The furious pace of development of basic EMS technology over the last several years has caused signifi cant improvements. Pure Impact differs by emulating plyometric exercise, renowned for how it trains ‘explosiveness’ as part of high-intensity interval training (HIIT).”

Anatomically strategic placement of up to four of the system’s PlyoPods™ applicators, which feature four electrodes each, enables whole body multidirectional exercises. “Plyometrics are highly regarded because they lead to whole body metabolic and conditioning improvements,” Dr. Mueller said. “Pure Impact replicates this because comprehensive supportive musculature is activated, just as if the muscles were performing real world exercises, so the result is very natural.”

“Anyone into fitness in general knows the value of plyometrics,” added Dr. Weiser. “The deep squat-jumps, burpees and other full body movement exercises integrate multiple muscle groups. They recruit fast-twitch muscle fi bers and build explosiveness. Pure Impact patients with fi tness experience report experiencing that satisfying feeling just like they have undergone an intense workout, so it also feels natural.”

Depending on the patient, Dr. Weiser schedules six sessions, once per week for six weeks or twice a week for three weeks, based on what fi ts best with patient issues and desires. “You may seem to get more rapid onset of, or more pronounced, results with more treatments in a short time.”

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