Electrical Stimulation in Surprise, AZ

Electrical stimulation in Surprise, AZ, is used the way it is meant to be used: as the piece that relaxes a guarded muscle so the adjustment, the acupuncture, and the dry needling can do more. Dr. Derek M. Legg uses a gentle current, either through soft pads on the skin or through the acupuncture needles themselves, which is called electroacupuncture. It is a supportive tool, chosen from your examination, not a machine everyone gets.

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What Is Electrical Stimulation?

Electrical stimulation, or e-stim, sends a mild, controlled current into the muscle to calm it down, ease pain, and increase blood flow to an area that is guarding an injury. Most patients feel a light pulsing or tingling, never a shock, and the intensity is set to what is comfortable for you. It is used to prepare a tight muscle before an adjustment, to settle spasm, and to support recovery. It is a supportive modality, not a cure on its own, and results vary.

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What Is Electroacupuncture (Electric Acupuncture)?

Electroacupuncture, sometimes called electric acupuncture, is the same gentle current run through the acupuncture needles instead of through pads on the skin. Once the acupuncture needles are placed, small clips deliver a soft pulse that reaches deeper and holds the point working longer than the needle alone. Most patients feel very little. Because Dr. Legg performs acupuncture, dry needling, and stim, he can combine them in one visit and choose the version your case calls for, rather than offering only the one tool he happens to own.

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What We Use Electrical Stimulation For in Surprise, AZ

Stim is used most for muscle-driven pain and guarding: the tight muscles behind back pain and neck pain, the spasm that follows auto accident injuries, the deep muscles wrapped around the nerve in sciatica and radiating pain, and the guarding in shoulder and hip pain. It also pairs with acupuncture for the tension that can feed headaches. Whether it belongs in your plan at all comes from your examination. See the full list of conditions we treat.

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How Stim Works With the Adjustment, Acupuncture, and Dry Needling

Stim is rarely the whole answer, and it is not meant to be. A relaxed muscle takes an adjustment more easily and holds it longer, and a calmer muscle takes an acupuncture or dry needling needle far more comfortably than a guarded one. That is why Dr. Legg uses stim to open the door for the other tools rather than as a standalone fix. You get the combination that fits your examination, from the same doctor, in the same visit.

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Does Medicare Cover Electrical Stimulation?

Medicare covers the medically necessary spinal adjustment, which we bill directly, but it does not cover electrical stimulation, acupuncture, or dry needling performed by a chiropractor, which are billed as self-pay. Most commercial plans treat stim by a chiropractor the same way. We verify your benefits and quote anything in writing before your visit, so nothing on your bill is a surprise. More detail is on our Medicare page and our insurance page.

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What to Expect on Your First Visit

Your first visit covers a consultation, a full examination, digital X-rays if they are clinically necessary, and the start of care, so you leave with something done rather than only a plan. If stim fits your case, the pads or the electroacupuncture clips go on for a short, comfortable session, and Dr. Legg explains why. New self-pay patients can start with the $49 first visit, and more detail on the day is on the first visit page. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Thursday.

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Electrical Stimulation: Common Questions

Does electrical stimulation hurt?

No. Most patients feel a light pulsing or tingling, and the intensity is set to what is comfortable for you. It is never a shock, and you can ask Dr. Legg to turn it down at any point.

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What is the difference between e-stim and electroacupuncture?

The current is the same. E-stim delivers it through soft pads on the skin, while electroacupuncture delivers it through the acupuncture needles, which reaches deeper and more precisely. Dr. Legg chooses based on your examination.

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Is electrical stimulation the same as a TENS unit?

It is the same idea. A TENS unit is a small take-home version for surface use. In the office, stim can be delivered through pads or, as electroacupuncture, through the needles, and it is guided by your examination.

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Do I need a referral?

No. Arizona allows you to see a chiropractor directly. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Thursday.

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Who You Will See

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Dr. Derek M. Legg, D.C., M.P.H., earned his Doctor of Chiropractic at Logan University and a Master of Public Health, and reads your imaging with you himself. You see the same doctor at every visit, which is why your plan stays consistent, and nothing gets handed off between providers.

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Serving Surprise and the West Valley

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We are on West Bell Road in Surprise, inside Sheitelman Physical Medicine, minutes from Sun City West, Sun City, El Mirage, Litchfield Park, Waddell, Peoria and Goodyear. You can also see chiropractic care in Surprise, AZ. We are at 13757 W Bell Rd #101, Surprise, AZ 85374, and we see patients Monday through Thursday. Call (623) 214-7600 to get started.​​

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Related care: Back Pain, Neck Pain, Sciatica, Acupuncture

​Explore our other services: Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Dry Needling, Digital X-Ray, MRI Review, Postural Evaluation, Electrical Stimulation, Therapeutic Exercise, and Spinal Decompression.