TENS Therapy - The Big Guide
TENS therapy - a healthy alternative to painkilling drugs
The TENS pain therapy offers you a beneficial alternative to medicinal pain treatments, which can help you to relieve pain and free you from taking tablets over time. In addition, you are flexible in your use. You can use a TENS unit at any time and also from almost anywhere. TENS can be used for any kind of pain. For example, TENS therapy can help you relieve joint pain [1], hand pain [2] or headaches [3]. Here you can find all TENS applications and electrode placements as well as the appropriate programme recommendations.
If you have any questions, you can contact us at any time. Our trained medical product consultants will be happy to help you.
You can reach us by phone at +49 7152 - 353 911 - 0 or by email at service@axion.shop.
TENS devices and matching electrodes
How does stimulation current therapy work?
The effect of stimulation current therapy is based on low or high-frequency voltage that usually penetrates the body without side effects. Muscles (EMS) and nerves (TENS) can be addressed there, which can treat the pain gently and without medication. The aim is to strengthen the body's own pain control.
The stimulation current therapy distinguishes between two therapy options
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)
Both methods are easy to use and can be applied at home. A TENS and/or EMS stimulation device is connected to the body via electrodes. With our TENS EMS combi device, you can use both therapy options.
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Is TENS stimulation current therapy safe?
In principle, pain therapy with TENS is a generally safe form of therapy with almost no side effects when used correctly.
Are there nevertheless risks?
In rare cases, yes. First of all, please note that the body can get used to the TENS treatment and that the effectiveness can decrease somewhat over time. However, do not despair, but simply apply the therapy with different parameters or with changing programmes. This way you can prevent the habituation effect.
It should also be mentioned that skin irritation can occur in sensitive skin types. This occurs mainly when the product is used for too long on the same area of skin and is the most common side effect. This is not a big deal and usually goes away after a short time. If it does not, talk to your doctor and get it checked out.
The contraindications are that you should not use TENS (and also EMS) in certain cases or only under medical supervision.
TENS contraindications
When should TENS not be used:
- If you wear a pacemaker, interference may occur. Therefore, stimulation current treatment, especially in the area of the upper body, must always be carried out under medical supervision.
- Do not use TENS if you have skin diseases or cardiac arrhythmia or if you suffer from epilepsy.
- Stimulation current applications during pregnancy may only be carried out under medical supervision.
- In case of cancer, TENS may only be carried out according to a doctor's orders.
- Wearers of metal implants - including copper coils - should consult their doctor before use.
These are the most common reasons for not using stimulation current. In any case, read the instructions for your device thoroughly and make sure that none of the contraindications described there apply to you.
On which parts of the body should the TENS stimulation current application not be carried out?
- Even in healthy people, the stimulation current should NOT be applied directly over the heart.
- DO NOT place the TENS electrodes over the cephalic vein or the carotid artery
- DO NOT place TENS electrodes on the larynx
- AVOID the use of stimulation current in the area of larger metal implants
- DO NOT place the electrodes over open wounds, inflammations and pathological swellings
Please ensure that you only use clean TENS electrodes or probes (anal probes or vaginal probes) that are suitable for the respective body area. Only use original TENS EMS accessories with axion devices.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our trained medical product experts will take care of you immediately. You can reach us at +49 7152 - 353 911 - 0 or by email at service@axion.shop.
What are the differences and modes of action between TENS and EMS therapy?
TENS therapy stimulates blood circulation[4], which can have a pain-relieving effect. The setting of the TENS unit (strength and duration) is individually adjusted to the patient depending on the intensity of the pain. Pain therapy with TENS uses a weak alternating current with a frequency between 10 and 100 Hertz. The TENS electrodes are placed close to the painful areas. During the therapy, the patient only feels a slight tingling sensation, which creates a counter stimulus to the pain. In addition, the production of endorphins is stimulated, which makes it possible to achieve a higher pain tolerance. This analgesic effect usually lasts for a few hours and helps you to relieve the pain.
When training the muscles with EMS therapy, individual muscles can be stimulated in a targeted manner. Electrical muscle stimulation is particularly recommended as an accompaniment to actual strength training. If used correctly, EMS can also be used to strengthen the pelvic floor in cases of incontinence or after pregnancy. EMS training can be particularly helpful when muscles are weakened due to injuries or poor posture, e.g. due to office work, and need to be trained. Here you can read about an exemplary setting for your EMS device. In the following article you can read how TENS can help in combination with EMS
The advantages of TENS treatment
Summary - Our conclusion on TENS therapy
TENS has been used successfully for decades to treat pain. However, please note that TENS treatment cannot replace a healthy lifestyle with sufficient exercise. However, you need this lifestyle to avoid pain in the first place. However, if you do feel uncomfortable or if you already have limiting pain at that moment, a TENS device could help you on your way to a pain-free life.
Basically, TENS is also recognised in professional circles as an extremely effective method for the therapy of various pains and impairments. However, it has its limits and it should be pointed out that certain diseases cannot be treated with TENS at all.
We therefore recommend: Always seek medical advice before using TENS. Only your doctor can judge whether a therapy with stimulation current can work for your complaints.
TENS units and matching electrodes
The TENS world of axion
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Last seen
Sources
[1] Cetin, N., Aytar, A., Atalay, A. & Akman, M. N. (2008). Comparing Hot Pack, Short-Wave Diathermy, Ultrasound, and TENS on Isokinetic Strength, Pain, and Functional Status of Women with Osteoarthritic Knees. American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 87(6), 443–451. https://doi.org/10.1097/phm.0b013e318174e467
[2] Stralka, S. W., Jackson, J. A. & Lewis, A. R. (1998). Treatment of Hand and Wrist Pain. AAOHN Journal, 46(5), 233–236. https://doi.org/10.1177/216507999804600502
[3] Allais, G., De Lorenzo, C., Quirico, P. E., Lupi, G., Airola, G., Mana, O. & Benedetto, C. (2003). Non-pharmacological approaches to chronic headaches: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, laser therapy and acupuncture in transformed migraine treatment. Neurological Sciences, 24(S2), s138–s142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s100720300062
[4] Cramp, Gilsenan, Lowe & Walsh. (2000). The effect of high- and low-frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation upon cutaneous blood flow and skin temperature in healthy subjects. Clinical Physiology, 20(2), 150–157. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2281.2000.00240.x
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