TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) is a passive, non-addictive, non-invasive, modality having no side effects when used properly and can decrease your perception of having any back or neck pain. This treatment can be quite helpful for those patients who are suffering from chronic and acute pain.
A TENS machine of Axion can also be used for many other treatments like therapeutic exercises, etc.
TENS units will work by delivering certain small electrical impulses by using electrodes via adhesive pads that will be attached to their skin. The entire electrical impulses will flood the whole nervous system so that it can reduce its ability to send pain signals to our brain and the spinal cord.
You can use these TENS units for treating the following symptoms:
- Back and neck pains
- Joint pain
- Labor pain
- Period pain
- Postoperative pain
Also, they can alleviate the pains because of the following conditions:
- Arthritis
- Endometriosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Injuries of spinal cord
- Multiple sclerosis
- Painful diabetic neuropathy
- Sports injuries
There are controls available in the TENS unit that can allow administering a certain level of relief for the pain.
How this treatment is administered?
To administer this treatment, the physical therapist will apply electrode patches on the affected person’s skin where the treatment needs to be provided. The mild current will run from its stationary stimulator via these patches.
TENS can also be used for delivering topical steroid medication via the skin for treating acute pain. This kind of treatment is known as Iontophoresis. Due to mild current, it will cause the medication to get migrated into the soft tissue serving for reducing inflammation.
To administer the proper level of relief from pain, the TENS unit will use its various controls. The following are the few electrical parameters that are used for controlling the electrical current for providing the necessary relief:
- Intensity – A dial is provided in the TENS that will allow the user for adjusting the intensity of necessary electrical stimulation.
- Duration – The duration will be the microseconds that the necessary current will enter the skin during each pulse.
- Frequency – As you know the frequency actually refers to the electrical pulse numbers per second. HF i.e. high-frequency pulses will be in the range of 80 cycles/second to 120 cycles/second and it can help in managing your acute pain.
LF i.e. low-frequency pulses will range from 1 cycle/second to 20 cycles/second and are quite suitable for treating chronic pain.
Portability of the equipment
TENS is quite a portable stimulator that is operated by a small-sized battery or rechargeable device, which can always be worn around your waist. This unit can always be programmed, switched on, or off whenever needed for controlling the pain.
This kind of equipment can always be either purchased or rented. You will need a doctor’s prescription to obtain this equipment for your own use. Usually, a physio-therapist can teach you how to use this device in the proper manner, including how to properly place the electrodes to get the optimal benefits.
For ensuring that you will get benefits from TENS, you can first use this device initially for trial before using it at home.
