My experience with ARPwave, Therastim and the development of the Globus Phoenix Wave and an Affordable AC/DC Waveform for Neuromuscular Training, Recovery & Enhanced Performance
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Years ago a patient of mine asked me if I had heard of the ARP Wave, which is also known as Accelerated Recovery Performance Trainer (ARPwave). My patient, who was a former volleyball player and a competitive cyclist, told me that this ARPwave Electric Muscle Stimulation device was
different from all the other electric muscle stimulation (EMS) modalities out there, and it was producing great results with flexibility and sports performance.
I am always open to new ideas and modalities, so although skeptical, I began looking into the ARPwave. The ARPwave claimed to offer some great results for pain relief, rehabilitation, and sports performance. These claims also came at a really high price. At that time, you could lease your own ARPwave for $15,000, yes that is right $15,000 per year!
Despite the seemingly ridiculous price on a lease, I was intrigued by the claims so I contacted t
he ARPwave corporate office. I was told that one of the developers of the ARPwave and the ARPwave Protocols, Jay Schroeder, had an office in Mesa AZ, which was only a few miles from my office at the time. So, I set up a time to meet with Jay and get a demonstration on the ARP Wave. After waiting for some time, Jay and some of his
assistants did a demonstration of the ARP Wave Loosening Protocol on me. They attached the ARP Wave electrode to my quads and then I did some squats. Then they attached the ARP Wave electrodes to my hamstrings and I did some toe touches, and the protocol continued like this for other muscle groups. Honestly, I was impressed. Within just a few minutes of having the ARP Wave on me, my flexibility and range of motion improved greatly.
Again, despite the crazy cost of the ARPwave lease ($15,000 at the time), I rented an ARPwave for a month and tested it out on myself and my clients. The ARPwave unit that I rented was the ARPwave pictured to the right, with the black and yellow face cover. It was also the same ARPwave unit that Jay used on me at his clinic during the demonstration. Denis Thompson was one on the developers of the ARPwave and over the course of renting the ARPwave, he was my contact for all my questions on the ARPwave. So, for one month I tried the ARPwave on myself, my clients, and would talk to Dennis about any questions related to the ARPwave.
One of the things I was most impressed with the ARPwave was the loosening protocols. The loosening protocol is done to increase mobility, flexibility, or to warm up before an activity. So, I hooked myself up to the ARPwave and did my squats, toe touches, and then 
I was off for my run. The first thing that I noticed while running, was that I was out of breath and breathing hard. It would usually take me about a mile of running before I felt warmed up enough to really feel like I was running, but this was within only minutes of running. But, looking down at my pace watch, and there was the answer. I was running two minutes faster and that was why I was out of breath so fast.
What happened was the ARPwave loosening protocol got me warmed up and loose, and therefore I was able to increase my running pace. So, what would usually take me a few miles to warm up, the ARPwave did in minutes. Based on these experimental results with the ARPwave on myself and my clients. I began to search the ARPwave on online strength and conditioning forums. What kept coming up in the discussion forums was an electric muscle stimulation called the Therastim. In fact, people were saying that the ARPwave and the Therastim were actually the same thing, just packaged a little different. The Therastim is pictured on the left with the blue and gray cover.
Information on the Therastim:
The Therastim was manufactured by PhysioDynamics, Inc. The Therastim®, unlike most elec
tronic muscle stimulator (“EMS”) devices, was a DC voltage device. This device could achieve deep tissue penetration at a low voltage, and thereby reduce the level of discomfort that was experienced with AC machines that ran on much higher voltage. Unlike any other machine on the market, the Therastim® enabled the practitioner to locate the electrical discontinuity caused by a soft tissue or another type of injury.
When I asked the ARPwave people about the Therastim, I was told they never heard of the Therastim. As it turns out Dennis and ARPwave actually bought PhysioDynamics a few months after I returned my rental ARPwave to them.
Basically, the Therastim and the ARP Wave, at that time were the same thing. The Therastim was the initial version of the ARPwave, and the black ARPwave was the result of Dennis acquiring PhysioDynamics, Inc. and began to operate under the ARP Manufacturing brand name. I found a doctor who was selling a Therastim unit, so I bought it and decided not to lease the ARP Wave, which I returned to the corporate office. Jay and Dennis continued to develop protocols for the ARP Wave and change the design of the 
Therastim and ARP Wave.
Since then I have used the Therastim in my office for over 10 years with extraordinary results, reducing chronic pain, improving flexibility, increasing strength, and enhancing performance. During these 10 years, I have been looking for something that could achieve the same results as the Therastim. The problem was that the wave form of the Therastim produced a unique signal containing an AC and a DC current, and that unique signal is what is responsible for the great results that we were achieving.
An option, was always, to buy and ARP WAVE and become a licensed ARP Wave clinic. However, the cost to become and ARP clinic, get an ARP Wave and use the ARP Wave protocols costs about $20,000 for just ONE ARP Wave. If the ARPwave would have been more affordable, I would have bought a few of them and been an ARPwave clinic for years, but at $20,000 per unit, it was a no go.
Most clinics around the country that offer the ARPwave charge around $200 for a single ARP Wave session and a lot of the clinics require clients to pre-pay for 10 sessions. Although I do LOVE the ARPwave, the cost to have an ARP Wave in the clinic was too high and I feel that the cost pre-ARP Wave session for
the patient was also too high. Therefore, I chose not to purchase an ARPwave and just continue to use the
Therastim as the main modality in our sports medicine practice.
For over 10 years we have been using the Therastim in our clinic with amazing results. We have been developing and redefining our protocols and training methods, and we have been searching for a Waveform that had a DC current in it.
In 2016 we finally found a company that was able to create an EMS unit that featured add an AC and DC current similar to the ARPwave and Therastim.
We made a few changes to the waveform, that in my opinion actually improved the already fantastic waveform.
The Therastim wave is a sinusoidal (it curses through muscle tissue in alternating directions) which is based on the work of Dr. Yakov Kots. However New scientific discoveries regarding the contraction, or twitching, mechanism in muscle mass as well as new technology which can generate impulses of different forms (square, triangular, trapezoidal) led to the gradual abandonment of the sinusoidal current for the electric stimulation.
We used a square wave which we have combined with a DC current.
To stimulate a muscle, it is necessary to apply a current capable of causing depolarization of cell membrane and its consequent contraction, by way of electrodes.
Research has demonstrated that stimulation is more effective and comfortable when current pulses are square and symmetric.
A square-shaped wave is better because:
– it releases the action potential of the muscle in a shorter period of time (vertical rump-up)
– it optimizes pulse effectiveness thanks to the larger area (more intensity in less time) of the square wave as opposed to other wave shapes.
Bottom line, the Phoenix AC/DC waveform is cleaner and more efficient and therefore it is not necessary to turn the intensity has high as you can. When we connected the Therastim and the Phoenix Waveform to a patient, all of our patients preferred the feeling of the Phoenix Wave over the Therastim.
We have also been able to duplicate our clinical, rehabilitation, recovery and performance results with the Phoenix Waveform.
The Professional and Elite Version of the Phoenix Waveform has a wide variety of other waveforms in it, in addition to the AC/DC waveform which expands our training and recovery options.
What is even better is that we can offer this unique waveform at an affordable price. We called this new waveform the PHOENIX. 
What makes the Phoenix Edition so different from all the other EMS units on the market today is the combination of an AC current and DC current. Most EMS units contain only an AC current.
The company manufacturing the Phoenix waveform for us was able to put this unique waveform into one of their existing EMS units, the Globus.
We now are able to offer this blend of two signals (AC and DC current), our therapy, mobility, and training protocols at an affordable price.
The Phoenix edition waveform, protocols, and training methods are designed to help people of all ages and abilities. These protocols will unlock your body’s potential with a biomechanical upgrade to rise up and become the person or athlete you have always wanted to be.
Individual results may vary.
Consult your physician or health care provider and follow all safety instructions before beginning any new exercise program, especially if you are pregnant, or have any medical condition. The contents on our website are for informational purposes only, and do not constitute medical, legal, or any other type of professional advice. Read the Globus and Phoenix Training Manual Fully before using the EMS unit. Results will vary depending on the individual, personal health status, performance goals, and proper use of the device. Terms of Service, Disclaimer, & Privacy Policy
