Domination & Submission: The BDSM Relationship Handbook (33 page)

TENS and EMS Units

Electrical BDSM play can take many forms.  As
we’ve just learned, violet wands are primarily used to stimulate the
skin.
 
TENS units are designed to stimulate the
nervous system
, while the
purpose of EMS units is to stimulate
muscle. 
TENS and EMS devices may
appear superficially similar; both typically consist of a control console, long
wires or leads, and dermal adhesive electrodes, but that’s pretty much where
the similarities end.

TENS stands for
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve
Stimulation.
 In medicine, it’s a somewhat controversial treatment for
chronic pain that’s been around since the early 1970s, though the idea of using
electricity to dull pain is not particularly new.  Ancient Romans wrote of
alleviating pain by touching live electric eels and in the 18
^th
century, Ben Franklin tinkered with the use of electricity as a treatment for
pain and a cure for various ailments.  Today, in addition to its
questionable efficacy as a medical treatment, it is used by many
fetishistas
for
BDSM electrical play
.  To some, it may seem counter-intuitive
that a device designed as a
pain reliever
is used by sadomasochists for
pleasure. 
While its real effectiveness as a pain reliever is highly doubtful, the
tingling or ticklish sensations that it produces are
anything but
. 
A portable TENS unit will typically cost between $30 and $100.

EMS stands for
Electrical Muscle
Stimulation. 
EMS units are typically used in medicine, sports
training, cosmetic treatments, and in therapy to produce repeated muscle
contractions through electrical stimulation.  EMS devices range in quality
and complexity from the very intricate and expensive machines used by medical
and sports professionals to the simpler, less expensive devices marketed to the
flabby masses via late-night infomercials.  The odd experience of having
your muscles stimulated electrically to
involuntarily
contract and
release in rapid succession makes the EMS unit an interesting option for BDSM
sensation play.  An EMS unit can usually be purchased for $30 to
$250.  The higher price range for the EMS, versus the TENS, is probably a
reflection of the fact that EMS units are often marketed to an increasingly
chunky and gullible
public as
weight loss and muscle toning devices.
 

Both TENS and EMS units must be FDA approved for sale
in the U.S. and must meet certain industry safety guidelines.  Most of the
safety practices applicable for violet wands are also recommended for TENS and
EMS devices, along with the following exceptions and additional
recommendations.

Neither device should ever be used by anyone with a
heart condition, epilepsy, blood circulation problems, any sort of malignancy,
or may be pregnant.  People with pacemakers, metal implants, and internal
pumps or monitors should avoid them as well. 
Never place electrodes on
open wounds, directly on the spinal column, on either side of the head, near
the eyes and sinuses, on the neck near the carotid artery, or near the front of
the throat, as it could cause a vasovagal reflex or laryngospasm. 
(Translation: choking, gagging, turning blue, and flopping around on the floor
like a tuna on a boat deck.)

Clamps, Clips, & Vices

BDSM sensation play just wouldn’t be the same
without all of the little
squeezy
devices
that can be used to
apply exquisite
pressure
to those sensitive parts of the body. 
There are an infinite number of different types of clamps, clips and vices that
can be used in BDSM play; the most common are nipple clamps, clit clips, ball
crushers, and other cock-and-ball torture (CBT) devices.  Rather than get
bogged down in trying to discuss
all
of them, we’ll focus instead on
just a few of the more common or interesting.

Nipple clamps
are probably the most commonly purchased and well-known pressure sensation play
toys available.  They are popular both in and outside the fetish culture,
and are typically one of the first kink toys purchased by couples who are just
beginning to explore the wonderful world of kink.  Their popularity is
certainly helped by the fact that they’re usually inexpensive, simple to understand,
and non-threatening to novices.   Unlike many of the other BDSM toys
there are to choose from, you don’t need the cooperation of a
partner
to
experiment with nipple clamps; all you really need is
nipples.

Nipple clamps are typically either spring operated
(like clothes pins) or screw operated (like thumbscrews or a C-clamps) or
employ a combination of the two, which allows users to adjust the spring
tension to their personal comfort level.  If purchasing a pair of spring
operated nipple clamps, you should test the strength of the tension spring
before purchasing, if at all possible.  Nipple clamps are usually packaged
in a way that makes it almost impossible, but you might want to ask a sales
person if you can open the package before purchasing it or, barring that, open
it immediately
after
purchasing and before you’ve left the store. 
Of course, if they have a strict no-return policy, even that will probably be
fruitless.  It’s actually quite common, especially in the budget-priced
varieties, for the spring tension to be
so severe
that
no one
would ever consider actually
using them.
  Apparently, either the
third-world nipple clamp manufacturers have never bothered to try out their own
products, or they have some
gnarly-tough nipples.

Nipple toys can also take the form of
clips.
 
The most common form of nipple clip is the
tweezer clip
, which is
typically nothing more than a small device which resembles a pair of household
tweezers, medical hemostat, cotter-pin, or large bobby-pin.  At the open
end, there may be a metal loop, elastic band, or bead which holds the loose
ends of the clip together, preferably after a nipple has been firmly wedged
between the two strips of metal.  Nipple clips are simple and inexpensive
to buy, typically costing under $10 for a pair.  In a pinch
(sorry,
couldn’t resist)
you can easily fashion your own home-made nipple clips
from a few short lengths of wood or metal, and a couple of rubber bands. 
The next time you order
Chinese take-out,
be sure to have them toss some
disposable nipple clips -
chopsticks
- into the bag.

Sometimes, clip and clamps are designed to combine
pressure sensation play with
other
forms of play.  Take, for
example,
bi-polar electrical stimulation clamps,
which incorporate the
fun features of a TENS or EMS unit to create an electrical circuit which flows
from
one side of the same clamp to the other
.  When a bi-polar electrical
stimulation clamp is attached to a nipple or any other body part the electrical
current flows
directly through the tissue. 
This focuses the
electrical effects on a very small area, and eliminates the need to create a
ground circuit.  Rather than having to attach two separate electrodes to
the subject’s body, both electrodes are contained in the
same clamp
,
which makes it perfect for intensely focused nipple, labial, clit, or cock
stimulation.

The word
vice
isn’t commonly used in
reference to BDSM toys, but that’s basically
what some of them are -
devices
that often look and function exactly like the
workbench vice
that may be
sitting in your garage right now
. 
Vice-like BDSM toys generally
fall into three categories: tit crushers, cock crushers, and ball
crushers.  They all work in essentially the same fashion - using the
incredible power of
screw mechanisms
to tighten two rigid plates
together while a sensitive part of your body is wedged
between them.

Tit crushers are typically custom-designed and
constructed for their owners, though you should be able to find
a few
commercially available products on the market, if you look hard enough. 
The cost and complexity of any tit crusher device will naturally vary widely,
depending upon its design and materials.  Some tit crushers are
stand-alone items intended to be attached to the breasts by the pressure that
they exert.  Others are designed to be attached to a larger mechanism or
piece of bondage furniture, which makes the device non-portable and immobilizes
the bottom.  Most tit crushers operate in exactly the same way: Place the
breasts between the two rigid plates, and then screw the plates down to flatten
them. 
Easy-peasy booby squeezies.
  

Cock and ball crushers operate on the same basic
principle as tit crushers, only on a smaller scale.  There are many
different product designs for cock and ball crushers, but most are based on one
of two simple approaches:  two plates squeezed together by thumbscrews, or
a metal tube which is narrowed in diameter by thumbscrews.  Practically
all of the other permutations can be attributed to aesthetics, construction
materials, and whether the device is designed to accommodate just the penis,
just the testicles,
or both.

Obviously, when the name of your BDSM toy includes
any mention of the word
“crusher,”
there are probably going to be some
safety concerns to be aware of, and these toys are not going to be the
exception to that rule.  When using tit crushers, it is important to
perform continuous monitoring of the breasts and of the overall condition of
your subject.  Once the breasts become discolored, blue or purple, that’s
a sign that blood flow to the breast tissue has been severely restricted, which
means the clock is ticking and you only have a short time before you must
reestablish proper blood flow to avoid causing serious or permanent
damage.  Bondage photography often depicts models with tortured breasts in
this state; however, what you
don’t
know is
how long
they were
allowed to
remain
so.  Most professional bondage photography
requires very short windows of opportunity to get the best shots; being kept in
the equipment or pose any longer can be hazardous to the model’s health.

If you plan on combining tit crushing with any form
of impact play, you should use a low-impact toy that will not break the
skin.  When the breast tissue is highly compressed, the taut skin is
thinner and under a great deal more pressure than usual.  The effect is
not unlike that of a balloon which is inflated almost to the point of
bursting.  It may be difficult to pop an
underinflated
balloon, but
an
overinflated
one will pop at the mere suggestion of a pointy object. 

Finally, as is the case with most other forms of
breast torture, you should be aware that some studies have shown that
habitually rough treatment of the breasts can result in the growth of fibroids
in the breast tissue.  Fibroids are not inherently dangerous to a woman’s
health, but can result in false positive readings on mammograms, and may
negatively affect the breast’s aesthetics.

Cock and ball crushers present us with an all new
and very scary set of safety concerns.  The first and probably most
common, aside from the obvious risk of blocked blood circulation, is cuts,
bruises or abrasions.  Placing pressure on the penis or testicles
stretches the skin thin, making it much more susceptible to punctures, tears
and other injuries.  It also greatly increases the risk of
edema.
 Edema
is abnormal swelling caused by an excessive buildup of interstitial fluids
beneath the skin or in body cavities.  The rupturing of blood vessels can
cause hematomas, which are the collection of blood outside of the blood
vessels.  The most common form of hematoma is
bruising.
 
Crushing the testicles can also result in spermatoceles, which are a type of
cyst that can occur in the scrotum.  Spermatoceles are generally painless
and relatively harmless, but have the potential to cause some alarm and become
problematic.

Far more serious
is the risk of testicular rupture and torsion injuries.  A testicular
rupture is a tear in the
tunica albuginea,
which is the fibrous membrane
covering the testes within the scrotum.   When a testicular rupture
occurs, the contents of the testes spill out into the scrotum.  This is a
very serious kind of trauma which usually requires surgery to save the
testicle.   Testicular torsion is another serious risk that should be
checked out immediately when suspected.  Testicular torsion occurs when
the spermatic cord (which suspends the testes) becomes twisted and cuts off the
blood supply to the testes.  The result is typically immediate and severe
pain; if testicular torsion is suspected, you should seek
immediate medical
treatment.
  In cases where testicular torsion is the diagnosis, prompt
surgery is usually the only way to save the testes.  Interestingly,
testicular torsion is sometimes referred to as “winter syndrome,” due to the
fact that it occurs more frequently in low temperatures.  That’s something
you might want to keep in mind when playing in cool environments.

Weights & Stretching

The use of weights is a form of sensation play or
torture that is most commonly applied to a woman’s nipples or labia, or to a
man’s scrotum.   The weights themselves can take any form, from
common heavy household items to commercially produced training weights. 
The focus of weight play is typically less on the weights, themselves, but on
how the weights are attached to the sensitive body parts in question.  The
methods employed usually consist of clamps or alligator clips when it comes to
the labia or nipples.  Rings, testicle cuffs and parachutes are commonly
used on the scrotum.