Which muscle stimulating device is best?

Question

Between the 3 new devices, emsculpt, cooltone and trusculpt flex, which is best and most effective? They seem to work very similar, except I don't think cooltone has the fat sparing option for buttocks.

Nana N. Mizuguchi, MD, FACS · Answer

With several different muscle stimulating devices on the market it can be overwhelming to know which ones actually work and grant results. Two devices I have seen great results with are Emsculpt and truSculpt Flex. Each of these devices are a non-invasive way to stimulate the muscle and provide safe, consistent results. There are a few differences between the two, with time being a bigger one. Each Emsculpt treatment is 30 minutes and only one area can be treated. With Flex, the treatment time is 15 minutes and multiple areas of concern are able to be treated simultaneously. These devices would be recommended to patients who are wanting to see added definition and tone to their muscles. These devices should not be used in place of exercise or as a way to avoid a healthy lifestyle, they simply enhance those areas while increasing muscle mass and endurance. A consultation should be had before ever starting any muscle stimulating device to make sure the patient is a proper candidate for the treatment!

Michael A. Persky, MD · Answer

Hi Maria,
We have been using Emsculpt on our patients for the past year with excellent results. Emsculpt has the most clinically proven data on safety and efficiency.  Have fun building your muscle and losing some fat in the process. Good luck and be well.
Dr. P

Andrew Campbell, MD · Answer

I don't know of any head to head tests or research that can verify that one device is better than another. I do know that the electromagnetic devices create a much more significant contraction since they make every nerve fire, unlike electrical (TENS) units. We have had the EMSculpt machine for over a year and have had extremely high patient satisfaction. It really makes a difference that can be seen and felt.Andrew Campbell, M.D.Quintessa

Edward A. Alvarez, DDS - Account Suspened · Answer

Hi, and thank you for your question. As someone who has experienced all three devices and had them demonstrated in my office prior to adding it to my practice, the only one that impressed me was TruSculpt Flex. That is why I added it to my practice. 
EMSculpt works via electromagnetic stimulation vs. TruSculpt Flex + which is multi-directional elecrical muscle stimulation. The feeling that they produce when stimulating your muscles is different, and both will be beneficial to you. The difference for me as both a patient, and as a doctor providing the treatment to other patients, is the results that I saw. Both my wife and I saw IMMEDIATE results in muscle growth and muscle tone after doing the TruSculpt Flex treatment. We were left unimpressed with the EMSculpt results we obtained. Once we saw that, we knew it was the device we wanted to offer our patients.
Ultimately, you will have to try and see what works best for you. Hope you have a better understanding of which is best from our experience.
Best of luck,Dr. Edward A AlvarezDiplomate, American Academy of Aesthetic MedicineMember, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery

Timothy Abrahamson, MD · Answer

While all these device do stimulate muscle tissue. The TRUSCULPT FLEX is best as able to use MDS. Multidirectional Stimulation meaning full muscle contraction. TRUSCULPT FLEX is able to hold contraction (more isometric) and rapid fire (more isotonic contraction). The other devices use HIGH EMF. Magnetic pulse is a wave so variation of type of contraction is NOT possible with emtone or cooltone. The EMF is also a concern of the World Health Organization (WHO): WHO has been active in the evaluation of health issues raised by exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) in the frequency range from 0 to 300 GHz. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) evaluated the carcinogenicity of static fields in 2002, and the WHO International EMF Project has recently conducted a thorough health risk assessment of these fields . This is the same reason many folks don't want their house near high power lines. The TRUSCULPT FLEX uses electrical stimulation to get full contraction and vary the contraction without any EMF/

The TRUSCLUPT ID and the VENUS LEGACY both have advantages over the emtone.

The TRUSCLUPT ID and the VENUS LEGACY both have advantages over the emtone.

Scott Levitt, MD · Answer

You’re likely going to get many people answering that EM Sculpt is the best, as Flex and Cool Tone are new to the market. However, the truSculpt Flex is definitely the best of the bunch. EM Sculpt treats one area at a time, while the Flex can treat several at once. EM Sculpt also can only target the entire muscle to contract at once, whereas the Flex is much more targeted, and can stimulate the muscle in multiple directions and achieve muscle confusion. I just recently had a Flex patient who had previously had EM Sculpt and said she’d never do EM Sculpt again after Flex. For comparison, she was at 100% on the EM Sculpt, but only got to less than 50% on the Flex.  TruSculpt Flex is the newest and best technology on the market. Try it for yourself and I bet you’ll agree.

Peter Petropoulos, MD · Answer

Hi,
Great question.  We don't know much about CoolTone yet as it's not available. EMSculpt is by far the only option that has the results and number of patients treated to make the decision easier.  
Patients love the results of EMSculpt, especially after being paired with fat reduction like Coolsculpting when some debulking of fat is necessary to get the best results.

Peter Petropoulos, MD

Derek Norcom, MD · Answer

Emsculpt is in my opinion definitely the best of the three and has more studies to verify muscle growth and fat loss. Seven clinical studies showed 16 percent muscle growth and 19 percent fat loss. Our patients love it. It’s been one of the most popular treatments in my 12 years of treating aesthetic patients.

Jake Wardwell, DO · Answer

The Trusculpt flex has been shown in clinical trials to increase muscle mass by 30% after 4 treatments. Emsculpt increased muscle mass by 18%. As a musculoskeletal specialist, I have been measuring improvements in muscle mass on ultrasound and via bio impedance and have verified both 30% increased muscle mass by 2 weeks after 4 sessions and reduced fat thickness up to 25% in some cases, whereas the studies shown reduced fat thickness of 11%. 
The Trusculpt Flex is NOT a Tens unit and any “Doctor” staying this needs to do a quick google search to realize they are discrediting themselves by saying so. TENS units stimulate nerves and use less then 1 mAmp of current. Over the counter Electrical muscle stimulators use less than 10 mAmp and can be worn while you run or work out because they cause little muscle twitches that also do not build muscle significantly. The Trusculpt flex uses 30mAmp of current, which causes Supramaximal contractions like Emsculpt but is able to target specific muscle groups, like the obliques. The area treated by Emsculpt or cooltone is equivalent to one Trusculpt pad and in a single Trusculpt session you can use up to 16 pads vs 2 with Emsculpt or Cooltone. 
The cost of Emsculpt is $750/session for just one area. The cost of Trusculpt Flex is $500 for one area and $750 for two areas. But one area in a Trusculpt session is using 8 pads to target multiple muscle groups within an area, ie internal and external obliques, traversus abdominis and rectus abdominis upper and lower. Trusculpt Flex can be used to treat the rotator cuff, calves, biceps/triceps and specific muscle groups like the inner quad and adductors. I use this both for aesthetic and musculoskeletal rehabilitation indications. 
The technology used in Emsculpt and Cooltone was made for penetrating the skull or treating the pelvic floor, areas where non specific stimulation to areas unable to be stimulated with direct electrical current is required. This then got patented (Cooltone basically copies Emsculpt but used oil cooling and called it new) and applied to other areas where electromagnetic fields can work but not as well and not as targeted as electrical stimulation. 
Bottom line: Trusculpt Flex is more effective at building muscle in more areas for less money. See a specialist in musculoskeletal medicine who understands the technology and can help leverage it for better results.

Richard E. Moore, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. With all the new technologies rolling out to enhance muscle mass and definition it is difficult to discern which devices works the best without a good understanding of how the devices work.Emsculpt is the best device for what you are seeking. It achieves supra-maximal contractions of the target muscle (>90 percent of muscle fibers contracting versus at best 50% that you can achieve on your own) and does this the equivalent of 20,000 times. In addition, there is some corresponding fat destruction when used with the proper protocol (or in the case of the buttocks fat sparing). BTL has published several clinical studies to back up the effectiveness of Emsculpt.Cooltone is reported to have a higher power setting but does not have the depth of penetration to achieve the same level of muscle contractility.Trusculpt Flex is more like a tens unit and does not achieve the same level of muscle contractility as Emsculpt.I hope this was helpful - Dr. Moore.

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