TENS machine
Millions of people suffer daily from chronic pain. A variety of treatment programs have been developed to alleviate chronic pain. Electrical therapy has long been used in medicine to treat pain and other conditions. One of the forms of electrical therapy is Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). Transcutancous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a well known medical treatment used primarily for symptomatic relief and management of chronic intractable pain and as an adjunctive treatment in the management of post surgical and post traumatic acute pain. TENS involves the application of electrical pulses to the skin of a patient, which pulses are generally of a low frequency and are intended to affect the nervous system in such a way as to suppress the sensation of pain that would indicate acute or chronic injury or otherwise serve as a protective mechanism for the body. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation uses a small electrical device to deliver electrical impulses through the skin via electrode pads affixed to the skin. Typically, two electrodes are secured to the skin at appropriately selected locations. Mild electrical impulses are then passed into the skin through the electrodes to interact with the nerves lying thereunder. As a symptomatic treatment, TENS has proven to effectively reduce both chronic and acute pain of patients. The TENS system sends controlled bursts of electrical impulses into muscles and nerves at particular surface points. A mild vibrating sensation is felt by the patient using the TENS system. The pulses induce the patient's nervous system to raise its own natural substances, which prevent pain signals from reaching the brain. A TENS device can be used by a patient numerous times throughout the day whenever a patient desires pain relief. It is typically used to reduce pain, but TENS has also been used to relieve stiffness and improve mobility.