mTrigger Custom Sensing Electrodes 101

Electrode placement is one of many variables impacting sEMG readings.

Best Practices for Placement

• Parallel to muscle fibers
  • The electrical current that stimulates muscular movement runs through efferent neural axons, moving from the CNS to the PNS.
  • By placing electrodes along the muscle fibers, we pick up the differential signal along the path of travel.
  • See the featured image above — note how electrode orientation matches different muscle fiber directions in the trapezius. This minimizes crosstalk.
• On the muscle belly
  • Placing electrodes away from tendons accesses more motor neurons and activity.
• Checking your placement
  • Use the mTrigger app’s Train module to validate signal output.
  • Add light resistance if needed. To test for cross-activation, isolate the non-target muscle and check for minimal signal.
• For muscle groups
  • You can monitor the entire group or isolate specific muscles. See below:

Whole quad monitoring example.

Isolated input monitoring for medial and lateral quads (VMO shown).

What Makes Them Custom?

• Built to sense, not stimulate
  • Our adhesive sensing gel and array are designed for data capture, not stimulation.
  • No central plate — we sense across the full electrode surface.
• Custom connector
  • Shielded and stabilized signal through a unique connector design.
• Cut-to-size flexibility
  • Resize electrodes for optimal placement — just don’t cut the lead stem.
  • Reduced surface area = less adhesion. Use tape or wrap as needed.

Takeaways, Resources & Reminders

• Reference: Electrode Placement Database
• Visualize where you want to see activity
• Be flexible — consistency is helpful, but placement is not rigid. Small adjustments won’t hurt!

Happy sensing! 🎯

For more on best practices:

Have feedback? Let us know in the comments or get in touch.