What is TENS?

TENS is an abbreviated word for:

• Transcutaneous (across the skin)
• Electrical
• Nerve
• Stimulation

TENS is a safe non-invasive, drug-free method of pain management.

TENS is an effective way of managing acute (short term) and chronic (long term) pain.
TENS can be used on it’s own, or in conjunction with other methods of relieving pain.
Professionally designed TENS machines have been registered as medical devices with the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia for many years, a well as many other countries including the U.S.A..
TENS machines are mostly used by Physiotherapists for the rehabilitation of major, and minor injuries, although many doctors, and other health professionals also recommend, and use TENS machines.
TENS may not cure the cause of your pain, but it can at least reduce your pain to a more acceptable level. Muscle stimulation with a TENS machine very often results in an increase in movement also.

TENS has been commonly used for decades in treating:

• Neck pain
• Head aches/migraine caused by neck tension
• Whiplash
• Thorasic pain
• Lower back pain
• Spondylosis
• Sciatica
• Prolapsed disc/ bulging disc pain
• Strains
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Cervical spondilitis
• Fibrositis
• Osteo-arthritis
• Rheumatoid-arthritis
• Frozen shoulder

How does TENS work?

The TENS machine works in two ways, but firstly it is important to understand how the body feels pain. Messages are sent from the brain to all areas of the body and back again via the nerves, which run from the brain, down the spinal chord spreading out through the torso, arms, and legs.
If you touch something hot enough to burn your skin, a message/electric pulse will flash along the nerve, up the spinal chord, and into the brain. A second message/electric pulse would immediately be sent back to the same area telling the hand, and flexing all necessary muscles to move away. This process takes only a fraction of a second.
Our bodies have a pain relief system built into the nervous system. You will have noticed this if you have ever been hit really hard… A punch in the arm, kicking your toe, or hitting your thumb with a hammer. What these have in common is a much more dull pain, and even numbness, especially noticed with a big punch in the arm. Compared to a shallow cut that may sting for hours, or even a day or so. The difference is depth. More accurately, a nerve being stimulated. Nerves are deeper than the muscle. So basically your pain relief mechanism does not get activated unless it is something that is more serious than a minor flesh wound. Minor flesh wounds are quite easily fixed by the body without your help. Something more serious will require your attention, and the nervous system makes sure that you are aware of anything requiring assistance in a way that you will surely be aware of. By a loud message that we call “pain”.
TENS works by stimulating the nerve, with a LOT of stimulation. The brain reacts as if you have just received a large trauma. The brain sends endorphins down the nerve canal from the hypothalmus (your very own chemical factory) to the place that the stimulation came from. There are little “gates” along the nerve canal wall, and the endorphins basically shut the nerve gate where the stimulation came from. Blocking the pain signal to the brain. This is called “pain gating”. Results vary from person to person, injury to injury. Some people get an amazing result from 15 minutes of stimulation, others will get a night relief from 45 minutes of stimulation, some only while it is stimulating, some need to rest their injury. Everyone is different, but our nervous system’s pain relief mechanism is very much the same for all.
The electric pulses are delivered to the body by a small machine about the size of a walkman, or a mans wallet. The TENS machine is small enough to conveniently wear clipped onto the waistband of your pants or skirt and continue with your usual activities. All professional machines have at least two channels that can be used for two people at once, two parts of the body, or a large area of the body. Each channel has a lead that connects to your pads/electrodes, or other TENS connection. The modern pads have a water soluble gel on them to stick to your body (see individual machine instructions). The pads/electrodes are placed on the body in the area of pain, usually in between the brain and the pain, then on the other side of the site (see pictures). You may need to adjust the position of the pads/electrodes until they all feel even and good while you are using the TENS. When in use, a buzzing sensation can be felt, this varies from pulse to pulse, but should resemble a shower at a good pressure. This should not be an unpleasant feeling at all. Depending on the machine, there will be a dial, or a button to adjust the intensity of the pulse. Adjust your intnsity VERY slowly, especially when using your TENS for the first time. TENS machines can be very powerful, and need to be for people with badly damaged nerves. Depending on the machine, you can also adjust the depth (Hz value), and width of the pulses. Health innovations TENS packs come with a guide for the most common pad positionings, and a guide for Hz value settings.
As well as stimulating the nerve, the pulse also flexes the muscle. Which is the second way that the machine works. The different modes/pulses of the TENS machine stimulate the muscles in different ways. Some pulses will feel like a shower blasting on there, others will fell like massaging waves, others a vigorous deep tissue massage. These massaging pulses are great for circulation enhancment. Especially for diabetics, and arthritis sufferers. A great thing about the TENS machine is this double action of pain relief with the increase in circulation to an injured part of the body. Quite simply, no circulation to an area of the body = no healing in that area. So increasing the circulation, and getting rid of blockages from scar tissue etc. can go a long way. Couple that with being all numb and tingly where there once was bad pain, and then you know how TENS works.
An important thing to remember is that, although you may feel a lot better, do not do anything that you would not normally do. The treatment more than likely has not fixed your problem. You do not want that “pain” to come back worse than before. Common sense is great for your health.