Research & safety

Built on research.
Made for home.

Mendoria uses muscle stimulation (EMS), a technology researchers have studied for decades, including on the deep muscles that hold the lower back steady. Here's what that research says, in plain words, and what it doesn't.

  • Wireless, no app
  • 16 intensity levels
  • Auto-off after 15 minutes
  • 90-Day Money-Back Promise

The science

Five published studies on the back muscles and muscle stimulation

The studies below were run independently by university and hospital researchers and are publicly available on PubMed, the research database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. None were funded by Mendoria or used a Mendoria device. They look at the muscles and the type of technology Mendoria uses.

Please note: we share this research as background. Mendoria is a personal massage device for home use, not a medical treatment. If you have a back condition, check with your GP or physio before you start.

Study 01

After a first bout of back pain, a deep back muscle shrinks on the painful side

Researchers used ultrasound to measure the multifidus, a deep muscle along the spine, in people with their first episode of low back pain. On the painful side, at the level of the pain, the muscle was clearly smaller than on the other side.

Good to know: a small group of patients. It measured the muscle; it didn't test any device.

Hides JA, Stokes MJ, Saide M, Jull GA, Cooper DH (1994). Spine 19(2):165–172. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8153825/

Study 02

The muscle doesn't recover by itself, even when the pain goes

In a follow-up trial with 39 patients, the pain eased in everyone. But the multifidus only recovered properly in the group that did specific exercises for it. In the other group, it was still smaller ten weeks later, even though they were back to normal activities.

Good to know: the muscle was trained with exercises guided by a physio, not with muscle stimulation.

Hides JA, Richardson CA, Jull GA (1996). Spine 21(23):2763–2769. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8979323/

Study 03

Muscle-stimulation training helped the deep back muscles switch on better

People with long-term low back pain trained with muscle stimulation (NMES). Afterwards, ultrasound showed their deep back and stomach muscles switched on better, and they reported less pain.

Good to know: a small study from University College Dublin, published as a conference paper.

Coghlan S, Crowe L, McCarthy-Persson U, Minogue C, Caulfield B (2011). Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, 7622–7625. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22256103/

Study 04

Older adults: exercise plus muscle stimulation improved everyday function

Older adults with long-term low back pain did trunk exercises with either real or sham (fake) muscle stimulation. Both groups had less pain, but only the group with real stimulation made clinically important gains on everyday function.

Good to know: a preliminary trial; the stimulation was combined with supervised exercise.

Hicks GE, Sions JM, Velasco TO, Manal TJ (2016). Clinical Journal of Pain 32(10):898–906. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4935645/

Study 05

Muscle stimulation on top of exercise: better back function that lasted

In a randomised, placebo-controlled trial, people with low back pain of six weeks or longer did exercise therapy with either real or placebo muscle stimulation. After two months, the real-stimulation group had better lower-back function, and the difference held for the following four months after the stimulation stopped.

Good to know: more than half of the 80 participants dropped out before the end; stimulation was used alongside therapist-guided exercise.

Glaser JA, Baltz MA, Nietert PJ, Bensen CV (2001). Journal of Pain 2(5):295–300. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14622808/

The mechanism

Why the multifidus matters

The multifidus is a deep muscle that runs along both sides of your spine and helps hold your lower back steady. Research shows that after a bout of back pain it can shrink and switch down, and that it doesn't always switch back on by itself.

That's the idea behind Mendoria. At the lower levels it feels like a soothing, tingling massage. At levels 10 to 16, the pulses make the muscles under the pads tighten and relax, rep after rep, while you sit still.

  1. Skin
  2. Surface muscles
  3. MultifidusDeep muscle along the spine← the muscle the research looks at
  4. Spine

Cross-section of the lower back (simplified)

Safety & quality

Simple, low-power, made for home

We'd rather tell you plainly what Mendoria is: a low-power, personal massage device for home use. Not a medical device, and not a replacement for advice from your GP or physio.

You're always in control of the level from the remote, and every session switches itself off after 15 minutes.

Device type
Personal EMS massage device
Use
At home, no prescription
Intensity
16 levels
Session
15 minutes, then auto-off
Power
Rechargeable, wireless, no app
Trial
90-Day Money-Back Promise
Got questions?

Frequently asked.

Everything we get asked about the research, safety and how Mendoria works.

Is Mendoria the same as a TENS machine?
  • A TENS machine sends pulses to soothe the area. Most settings tingle, but they’re not strong enough to make a muscle work.
  • Physio works the muscle, but it means appointments, waiting lists, and exercises that are hard to keep up when moving hurts.
  • Mendoria does both. A soothing massage at the lower levels, and real muscle work at levels 10–16. Fifteen minutes a day, at home, without moving through the pain.
Were the studies on this page done with a Mendoria device?

No. They were run independently by university and hospital researchers, and none were funded by Mendoria or used a Mendoria device. They look at the deep back muscles and at muscle stimulation in general, the same type of technology Mendoria uses.

Is Mendoria a medical device?

No. Mendoria is a low-power, personal massage device for home use. It isn't meant to diagnose or treat a medical condition, and it doesn't replace advice from your GP or physio.

Who shouldn't use Mendoria?

Please don’t use Mendoria if you have a pacemaker or another implanted electronic device, are pregnant, have epilepsy, or have broken skin where the pads go. If you’ve had recent surgery, ask your surgeon first.

When will I feel it working?

In your very first session. From level 10, you’ll feel the muscles under the pads tighten and relax. Muscles change over weeks, not minutes, so we recommend 15 minutes a day for at least 30 days. That’s exactly why you get 90 days to try it.

Where can I read the full studies?

Every study above has a link to its page on PubMed, the public research database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. There you'll find the summary, and often the full paper.

Is it safe to use at home without a doctor?

Mendoria is made for home use: it's low-power, you choose the level from the remote, and every session switches off after 15 minutes. If you have a back condition, have had surgery or aren't sure, check with your GP or physio first.

Have a question we didn't answer?

Whether it's about the research, safety, or whether Mendoria is right for you, a real person will give you a straight answer, usually within one working day.

Contact usShop Mendoria