I. WARNINGS
1. Counter-indications
Important counter-indications
■
Cardiac stimulator (pacemaker)
■
Epilepsy
■
Pregnancy (no positioning in the
abdominal area)
■
Serious arterial circulatory pro-
blems in the lower limbs
■
Abdominal or inguinal hernia
Precautions when using the
Compex
■
After trauma or a recent operation
(less than 6 months)
■
Muscular atrophy
■
Persistent pains
■
Need for muscular rehabilitation
Osteosynthesis equipment
The presence of osteosynthesis
equipment (metallic equipment in
contact with the bone: pins,
screws, plates, prostheses, etc.) is not a
contra-indication for the use of Compex
programmes. The electrical current of the
Compex is specially designed to have no
harmful effect with regard to
osteosynthesis equipment
n all of the above cases, you are ad-
I
vised to:
■
never use the Compex for prolon-
ged periods without medical advice;
■
consult your doctor if you are in
any doubt whatsoever;
■
read this manual carefully, in parti-
cular chapter VI, which provides in-
formation concerning the effects and
indications of each stimulation pro-
gramme.
2. Safety measures
What you should not do with
the Compex
■
Do not use the Compex in water or
in a humid atmosphere (sauna, hy-
drotherapy, etc.).
■
Never carry out an initial stimula-
tion session on a person who is stan-
ding. The first five minutes of
stimulation must always be perfor-
med on a person who is sitting or
lying down. In rare instances, very
highly strung people may have a
vagal reaction. This is of psychologi-
cal origin and is connected with a
fear of the muscle stimulation as well
as surprise at seeing one of their
muscles contract without having in-
tentionally contracted it themselves.
This vagal reaction produces a fee-
ling of weakness with a fainting ten-
dency, slowing down of the heartrate
and a reduction in arterial blood
pressure. If this does occur, all that is
required is to stop the stimulation
and lie down with the legs raised for
the time it takes for the feeling of
weakness to disappear (5 to 10 mi-
nutes).
■
Never allow movement resulting
from muscular contraction during a
stimulation session. You should al-
ways stimulate isometrically; this
means that the extremities of the limb
in which a muscle is being stimulated
must be firmly fixed, so as to prevent
the movement that results from
contraction.
■
Do not use the device at less than
1.5 metres from a short-wave device,
a micro-wave device or high fre-
quency (H.F.) surgical equipment to
avoid the risk of causing skin irrita-
tions or burns under the electrodes. If
you are in any doubt about using the
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