TENS is short for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. The TENS unit is a small battery-operated device that produces pain-relieving electrical impulses. Tiny pulses are then passed from the TENS unit via the lead wires and electrodes to the nerves underneath the skin's surface. The electrodes are normally positioned around the area of pain. It is safe, easy-to-use, and a drug-free method for pain relief used by hospitals and physiotherapists for over 50 years, and now quite common to use at home as well.
What Does a Tens Unit Do?
A TENS unit usually works in two ways. First, the machine sends low-voltage electrical impulses through the nerve fibers in order to prevent pain stimulus from reaching your brain. Consequently, your tense muscles will relax. Secondly, if used at a low intensity, it can also stimulate your body to release endorphins, your natural painkillers. These mechanisms allow you to experience symptomatic pain relief.
What Are the Health Benefits of Using a TENS?
- TENS may be able to help reduce muscle spasms caused by conditions such as: arthritis, period pain, knee pain, back pain, and sports injuries.
- TENS therapy is a non-drug pain treatment.
- It is possible that rehabilitation will be much quicker especially if the pain is already debilitating and affects your daily activities.
- Some models like the Easy@Home EHE029G TENS Unit & EMS Muscle Stimulator and Easy@Home EHE009 Electronic Pulse Massager come with massage types. You can adjust the settings accordingly to help ease muscle tension and stress.
- TENS units are safe and do not have any known side effects. However, always follow the manual when using it.
- TENS may help fight depression. Very promising data shows TENS can help with psychological disorders such as depression by stimulating the regions of the brain associated with reward processing and motivation.
- TENS may reduce menstrual cramps and labor pains. TENS have been shown effective at reducing cramp-related pain, leading to significant improvements in these patients’ quality of life. Women who used a TENS unit during their stay at the hospital experienced significantly less labor p This suggests that TENS may be helpful both during and after labor.
For more information on how to use TENS units to relieve pain, please watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewBDFQtsWyY.
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