Contact Us

Functional Wellness in Covington, KYRebuild Strength and Muscle with Emsculpt Neo

Session Time:
30 minutes
Downtime:
None
Sessions:
6 recommended
FDA Cleared:
Yes
Adult patient lying still during a functional wellness muscle strengthening session in Covington, KY

Strength and Mobility

Functional Wellness That Rebuilds Real Strength

Functional wellness in Covington, KY uses clinical muscle stimulation to rebuild strength, core stability and balance in adults whose training options are limited. Patients come from Fort Wright, Park Hills, Taylor Mill and across Kenton County for sessions that ask nothing of you but 30 quiet minutes.

Your program is built by Elizabeth Taylor, APRN at Applegate Dentistry & MedSpa, a practice Dr. Barry Applegate, DMD founded on measurable, science-led care. Elizabeth maps your starting point, sets a strength goal you actually care about and adjusts the intensity session by session.

Older adult climbing stairs confidently after a functional wellness series at Applegate MedSpa in Covington

The Challenge

When Strength Slips Away, Functional Wellness Steps In

Understanding Muscle Atrophy

Strength rarely disappears overnight. It shows up as a handrail you now reach for on the stairs, a grocery bag that feels heavier than it did last year, or a sore lower back after an hour in the garden. After an injury, a surgery or a few months of rest, the muscle you lose takes far longer to rebuild than it took to lose. For many adults a gym is not the answer either: joints ache, balance feels unreliable, and lifting unsupervised feels like a risk rather than a fix.
Functional wellness gives those muscles a way back. The applicator triggers thousands of deep contractions your body cannot produce voluntarily, so the work happens while you lie still and fully clothed. Across six sessions most patients notice steadier balance, easier stairs and a core that supports the lower back instead of straining it. It is not a replacement for movement you enjoy, it is the foundation that makes movement possible again, and it sits alongside our other wellness treatments in Covington.

Understanding Your Treatment

What Is Functional Wellness?

The Science of HIFEM Contractions

Functional wellness is a non-invasive muscle strengthening protocol delivered with the FDA-cleared Emsculpt Neo system, which pairs high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy, known as HIFEM, with radiofrequency warming. Used functionally, the target is muscle strength, core stability and recovery.

Each pulse triggers supramaximal contractions, meaning contractions deeper than you can produce on your own, and the muscle responds by thickening and firing more efficiently. The same device is used for aesthetic shaping on our Emsculpt Neo page: one technology, two very different goals and two different patients.

Treatment Timeline:

First Signs:
After 2 to 3 sessions
Full Effect:
6 to 12 weeks after the series
Treatment Time:
30 minutes (per session)
Recovery:
None (drive yourself home)

Your Experience

What Happens During a Functional Wellness Session

Step-by-Step Process

  1. Baseline

    Elizabeth reviews your history and records a starting point with an InBody body composition scan.

  2. Positioning

    You lie down fully clothed while the applicator is strapped over the target muscle group.

  3. Build Phase

    Thirty minutes of paced contractions with radiofrequency warming, intensity raised as you adapt.

  4. Recovery Phase

    Short tapping cycles clear lactic acid so the muscle settles before the next build phase.

  5. Review

    Elizabeth logs the intensity you reached and books the next of your six sessions.

What We Address

Functional Wellness Focus Areas

Strength Where You Need It

Soft abstract gradient background in warm magenta tones representing rebuilt strength and steady movement

  • Core and Abdominals

    Rebuilds deep core support for posture and lower back stability

  • Lower Back Strain

    A stronger trunk shares load the spine has been carrying alone

  • Glutes and Hips

    Restores the drive behind standing, stairs and rising from chairs

  • Thighs and Knees

    Builds quadriceps strength that steadies the knee while walking

  • Arms and Shoulders

    Targets biceps, triceps and shoulders for carrying and reaching

  • Calves and Balance

    Strengthens the calves that keep you steady on uneven ground

Benefits of Functional Wellness Sessions

Strength Without the Gym

No Gym RequiredFull muscle work while you lie down, fully clothed and stillMeasurable ProgressTrack muscle mass changes with an InBody scanJoint FriendlyStrength without loading painful knees or hipsSupervised ThroughoutElizabeth sets the intensity and adjusts it at every sessionSupports RecoveryRebuilds muscle lost to injury, surgery or rest

Functional Wellness vs Alternatives

A look at how a supervised functional wellness series compares with the usual routes back to strength.

TreatmentMechanismTimeResultsDurationDowntimeBest For
Functional WellnessHIFEM plus radiofrequency30 minutesStrength and core stabilityMonths with upkeepNoneLimited training options
Physical therapyGuided corrective exercise45-60 minutesFunction and mobilityOngoing programNonePost injury rehab
Supervised strength trainingProgressive resistance loading60 minutesStrength and muscle massHeld with trainingSorenessHealthy active adults
Emsculpt Neo body contouringHIFEM plus radiofrequency30 minutesShape and definitionMonths with upkeepNoneAesthetic goals
Pilates and core workBodyweight core control50 minutesCore control and postureHeld with practiceMinimalMobility and technique

Is This Right for You

Who Is a Good Candidate for Functional Wellness?

Finding Your Way Back to Strength

Functional wellness suits adults who want their strength back but cannot get there through conventional training alone.

Ideal Candidates for Functional Wellness

  • Adults noticing strength, balance or posture slipping with age
  • Patients rebuilding after an injury, a surgery or months of inactivity
  • People whose joints, schedule or confidence keep them out of a gym
  • Seniors who want steadier movement and fewer stumbles at home
  • Anyone working through stubborn fat and muscle loss who is ready to address the muscle side of it
  • Patients willing to complete all six sessions and stay gently active between them

Who Should Wait or Avoid Functional Wellness

  • Anyone with a cardiac pacemaker, implanted defibrillator, neurostimulator or drug pump
  • Metal or electronic implants anywhere in or near the treatment area
  • Pregnancy, or the early postpartum window before medical clearance
  • Active malignancy, recent surgery in the area, or a hernia at the treatment site
  • Fever, bleeding disorders, epilepsy or pulmonary insufficiency

Those implant restrictions are absolute rather than preferences. Elizabeth reviews your full history first, and a body composition scan gives us a baseline to measure against. The National Library of Medicine explains the aging changes in bones, muscles and joints that drive this loss of strength.

Risks and Side Effects

What to Know

The Applegate Difference

Why Choose Applegate MedSpa for Functional Wellness in Covington

Covington's Trusted Team

Elizabeth Taylor, APRN built her career in high-stakes acute care settings, so she reads strength, recovery and overall health the way a clinician does. Elizabeth builds each protocol around what you actually need to do: stairs, grandchildren, a garden, a return to work.

Book a Consultation

  • Clinical Supervision

    Every session is run and adjusted by a nurse practitioner

  • Dentist-Founded Practice

    Dr. Applegate built this practice on measurable, science led care

  • Full BTL Suite

    Emsculpt Neo, Emsella, Emvital and Exomind under one roof

  • Goals You Can Feel

    Progress measured in stairs, posture and steadiness, not inches

  • Baseline to Rescan

    An InBody scan records your start and confirms the change after six sessions

  • Build and Recover

    Paced contractions with tapping cycles that clear lactic acid between phases

Investment

Functional Wellness Cost in Covington

Pricing and Payment Options

How Much Does Functional Wellness Cost in Covington?

Functional wellness at Applegate MedSpa is sold as a course, because muscle responds to repetition rather than a single visit. The price card lists this protocol as Emsculpt Functional.

Price TypePer Session
Single session$350
Recommended series of six$350 per session

What Affects Your Total

The number of muscle groups you want covered is the main variable, since each area is treated in its own session block. Patients who also deal with stiff, painful joints often pair the series with laser therapy for pain relief on the same visit.

Flexible Payment Options

We want the plan to fit your budget, not the other way around.

  • Cherry Financing - monthly payment plans with a quick approval process and options for a range of credit profiles.
  • Major credit cards - accepted for a single session or a full series.
  • HSA and FSA - health spending account funds are accepted where your plan administrator allows the treatment, so check your plan first.

Call (859) 365-3300 and we will walk you through the full cost before you commit to anything.

Promotional pricing available at consultation. Call to schedule a free consult.

Patient receiving Emvital laser therapy for lower back pain at Applegate Dentistry and MedSpa in Covington, KY

Related Treatment

Laser Therapy for Pain with Emvital

Targeted 1064 nm laser energy that eases muscle and joint pain, stiffness and spasm with no downtime.

  1. No Downtime
  2. Drug Free
  3. Deep Tissue Reach
Learn More

Related Treatment

Emface for TMJ

Needle-free jaw muscle therapy that eases clenching, grinding and TMJ tension.

  1. No Injections
  2. No Downtime
  3. Bite Stays Untouched
Learn More

Related Treatment

Pelvic Floor Therapy with Emsella

Sit fully clothed while thousands of contractions rebuild your pelvic floor.

  1. Stay Fully Clothed
  2. Thousands of Kegels
  3. Reaches Deep Muscle
Learn More

Related Treatment

Emsculpt Neo

Radiofrequency and muscle stimulation in one 30 minute session, with no surgery and no downtime.

  1. Fat and Muscle at Once
  2. No Surgery or Needles
  3. Zero Downtime
Learn More

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Functional Wellness

How much does functional wellness cost in Covington, KY?
Functional wellness is $350 per session, and we recommend a series of six. The price card at our Covington practice lists it as Emsculpt Functional. Cherry Financing spreads that across monthly payments if you prefer. We confirm the full cost with you at the consultation, before anything is scheduled.
How long does each functional wellness session take?
Each session runs about 30 minutes on the treatment table, and you should allow roughly 45 minutes for the visit. There is no preparation beyond wearing comfortable clothing and no recovery time afterward, so most patients book sessions around work, and many schedule them on a lunch break.
Does functional wellness hurt?
It does not hurt, though it is an unusual sensation the first time. You feel intense pulling contractions and a warm, deep heat, similar to a hard workout compressed into half an hour. Elizabeth starts low and raises intensity only as far as you are comfortable, and you can ask her to ease off at any point.
When will I notice results?
Most patients feel something by the second or third session, usually steadier balance or an easier time on stairs. Measurable strength and muscle changes keep building for six to twelve weeks after the final session, because muscle continues adapting after the stimulus stops. Results vary from person to person.
How many sessions do I need?
Six sessions per muscle group is the standard course, spaced a few days apart across roughly three weeks. Muscle responds to repetition, so a single visit will not deliver lasting change. Many patients return for a maintenance session every few months to hold the strength they rebuilt.
What is the difference between this and Emsculpt Neo body contouring?
The device is identical, the goal is not. Functional wellness is prescribed for strength, core stability and recovery, and progress is judged by how you move. Our Emsculpt Neo page covers the aesthetic use, where the goal is shape and definition. Same technology, two different conversations and two different patients.
Is functional wellness safe for seniors?
Yes, and seniors are one of the groups it suits best, because the muscle work happens without loading painful joints or risking a fall. There is no upper age limit. Elizabeth screens for pacemakers, implanted devices, metal implants and other medical restrictions before your first session and supervises every visit.
Can this replace physical therapy or the gym?
No, and we would not frame it that way. Functional wellness rebuilds the muscle itself, while physical therapy retrains how you move and load a joint. The two work well together, and many patients run a series alongside their therapy program. Keep doing the daily walking and movement you enjoy.
Will I lose weight with functional wellness?
Weight loss is not the purpose of this protocol and not how we measure it. The goal is stronger muscle, better core stability and steadier daily movement. Some patients do see changes in body composition, which an InBody scan can show, but the outcome we track is what you can do, not what you weigh.
How do you measure my progress?
We start with an InBody body composition scan so there is a real baseline, then repeat it after the series to compare muscle mass. Elizabeth also logs the intensity you reach each session, which climbs steadily as you adapt. Alongside the numbers we ask about stairs, posture and how steady you feel.
Can I have treatment with a pacemaker or metal implant?
No. Cardiac pacemakers, implanted defibrillators, neurostimulators, drug pumps and metal or electronic implants near the treatment area are absolute contraindications, not judgment calls. Pregnancy, active malignancy and a hernia at the treatment site also rule it out. Tell us about any implant or surgery at your consultation.
Location322 Greenup StCovington, KY, 41011Phone(859) 365-3300Emailinfo@applegatemedspa.com

Schedule Today Your Functional Wellness with Emsculpt Neo Consultation

References

  1. Kohan J et al., Aesthetic Plast Surg. (2024). Systematic review of high-intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) energy with and without radiofrequency reported consistent increases in treated muscle thickness. PMID: 37957393.
  2. Samuels JB et al., Plast Reconstr Surg. (2022). The first sham-controlled randomized trial of radiofrequency heating and high-intensity focused electromagnetic treatment delivered simultaneously showed measurable muscle gains. PMID: 35259147.
  3. Jacob C et al., Dermatol Surg. (2021). Multicenter magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of the simultaneous application of HIFEM and synchronized radiofrequency documented significant abdominal muscle toning. PMID: 34001694.
  4. Katz B et al., J Drugs Dermatol. (2020). MRI assessment of arm and calf muscle toning with high-intensity focused electromagnetic technology showed increased muscle mass in treated limbs. PMID: 32484622.
  5. Cruz-Jentoft AJ et al., Age Ageing. (2019). Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis, naming low muscle strength the primary marker. PMID: 30312372.
  6. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2024). Aging changes in the bones, muscles and joints, including the progressive loss of muscle mass and strength.
Book Consultation