_TENS is an acronym for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, which refers to the use of mild electric current to stimulate the nerves in a bid to relieve pain or for other therapeutic purposes. As indicted by the use of the word transcutaneous, the electric current is applied only through the skin. Portable TENS units are portable, battery-powered devices that are designed for exactly this purpose.

TENS and Pain Relief

It has been known from ancient times that applying mild current on a particular region of the body instantly gives local pain relief. The ancient Greeks had observed that standing on an electric eel was an effective way of ridding oneself of pain. In modern times, a number of studies have shown that patients receive short-term as well as long-term benefits from using TENS to relieve pain. The personal and subjective experience of patients who have used TENS is almost unanimous that TENS can be used to relieve pain without any harmful side-effects, especially when used moderately.
 
TENS works by activating the central nervous systems’ opioid receptors. These are the same receptors that are activated by the eponymously named opioids, which are a type of pain-relieving drugs. High frequency electrical current, when applied using a TENS unit, is also known to reduce the excitation of the central neurons. Low frequency current, when applied using a TENS unit, activates serotonin receptors, and releases neurotransmitters such as serotonin and GABA. The direct result is that use of TENS results in instant pain relief. Indirectly, it has been observed that TENS reduces chronic pain, too.

_Using a Portable TENS Unit

Portable TENS units are a battery-operated devices that can be used to apply TENS at home, office or other places where you need instant pain relief. Portable TENS units can be used by taking the following steps and precautions:

•  First test that the unit is fully charged. You do not want the device to stop working while it is being used. 
•  Apply some gel on the bottom of the electrodes. The gel applied to TENS electrodes is a good conductor, and makes sure that the electrical current can easily reach the nerves under the skin.
•  Place the electrodes on your skin, at the point where you desire relief from pain. You may use a sticky patch or some other such contrivance to keep the electrode at one spot.
•  After confirming that the device has the correct settings, switch on the device. Most portable TENS units have automatic timers, and switch off after the assigned time is up.

_TENS had been found to be an effective pain-relief solution for the following ailments and conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, bursitis, multiple sclerosis, cancer, postoperative pain, knee, sciatica, back pain, foot, sprains, carpal tunnel syndrome and labor pain, apart from other types of pain. In the case of pregnancy, TENS is not used only during labor, and not during the preceding nine months. Portable TENS units should also not be applied on patients who use a cardiac pacemaker.

It should be noted that TENS, whether applied using a portable device or using a nonportable device, is used only on the recommendation of a qualified physician. However, once prescribed, your doctor may allow you to use a portable device at home. You can easily find portable TENS units for sale online and from medical stores.

One of the most popular TENS machines on the market, the LG-7000 digital TENS unit lives up to the hype. The Digital 7000 TENS unit is similar to the military standard issue assault rifle, it does exactly what you need it to do every time, rarely screws up, and is easy to maintain.

We recommend the LG-7000 digital TENS machine from LG Med Supply.com. LG is to TENS as Colt is to guns (while I'm on the fire-arms comparisons). You can safely and securely buy your TENS machine from the link above, on our TENS machine sales page, or from LG Med Supply.

If you want to buy a safe, reliable TENS unit, the 7000 digital TENS machine is a great fit. TENS therapy isn't complicated, why should your machine be?

Many people have found that using a home TENS unit can provide significant pain relief caused by a variety of different issues. The TENS unit or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation unit is generally operated by a small pocket-sized controller that is battery operated and can be conveniently clipped on a belt or carried in a pocket. The control box contains the battery power source as well as a variety of controls that will allow a user to adjust various aspects of the electrical current such as pulse width, intensity and frequency. By modulating these various aspects of the transmission, a user can easily control their level of pain relief as well as comfort. Every patient is different and the settings that work well for one will not necessarily be comfortable and effective for another. With the easy to adjust unit controller, every patient is able to make small adjustments to their treatment in order to produce the desired results.

The home TENS unit uses sticky patches containing electrodes through which the electrical impulses are passed. The sticky patches help adhere the electrodes firmly to the skin and keep them in place during treatment. The electrodes are connected to the TENS controller with wires, then applied directly to the skin. Two or more electrodes can be used allowing the patient to place them in the areas where pain relief is most needed. The electrical impulses stimulate the nerves to help alleviate pain. This form of treatment has proven safe and effective when proper care is used. The electrical impulses can bring relief from pain for many people, but there are some restrictions users should be aware of.  

For example, pregnant women should never use a TENS unit because the effects it may have on the unborn baby are not yet understood. Additionally, people with pacemakers should avoid using a home TENS unit, especially if it is applied on either side of the pacemaker; the TENS unit may interfere with the proper functioning of the pacemaker which could lead to serious problems. It is also generally recommended that the electrodes not be placed on the head or front of the neck and those with heart problems will want to be especially careful when placing electrodes. 

Regardless of what type of home TENS unit you use, it is important to use proper care in maintaining it. Before a treatment session begins, be sure that you have a fresh battery in the unit and that you clean the skin where the electrodes will be placed. When you are finished with your treatment session be sure that all of the control knobs are turned off and the electrical wires are removed from both the electrode pads as well as the control unit. The sticky electrode pads can remain on the patient if another treatment session will soon be needed, otherwise, the pads can be removed and cleaned with soap and water so that they are ready for the next session. The skin should also be cleansed to avoid irritation.

One of the unheard of practices in most hospitals and physical therapy clinics across the U.S. is the practice of allowing a chronic pain patient the free trial of a tens unit to see if the unit helps alleviate the pain. It's a nice practice that originated in early 1976 and has continued until today.

The basic premise of allowing a patient, who had endured failure after failure of traditional treatments for their pain, to get a free trial was based upon the premise of the belief in the technology.

In 1976 most manufacturers of these "pain machines" were trying to sell their units to physical therapy depts., chiropractic clinics, pain clinics and neurosurgeons who dealt with chronic pain patients. Somehow the industry felt that a take home, use as needed product, should be purchased by the institution to "try on a patient in the clinic". This was contrary to the purpose of the TENS unit. A TENS unit was designed to be used in most any setting and worn all day if necessary. The patient would turn the unit on when the pain was starting or when undertaking a task that normally resulted in pain. The patient then had self control of their chronic pain by being able to treat as needed without being in a hospital or clinical setting.

Having entered the industry in 1977 it was difficult to understand why any manufacturer would not allow a "free trial of a tens unit" since the ultimate decision to the unit's effectiveness rested solely with a patient. Unlike pain medications the efficacy needed to be established before a purchase decision was made. The manufacturers of the units would not believe the market was much larger if they went directly to the person in pain, not the practictioner.

In late 1977 the consignment of tens was started in physical therapy depts. in North Carolina after copying the practice of a company out of La Jolla, Ca. who had begun to experiment with the concept. MedFaxx actually purchased the units and then consigned to physical therapy clinics so a patient could try the unit to determine if it would help or not. If it helped then the unit was purchased or rented depending on the diagnosis being a chronic or acute pain situation.

Many chronic pain patients had basically given up on trying new treatments since many had been willing to try drugs, surgeries, and other modalities yet they still continued to be in pain. To say it mildly they had lost tolerance with the traditional treatments for acute pain and ended up with a diagnosis of chronic pain.

Physical Therapists were the one health care profession that had the training and understanding on basic electricity and how our bodies work electrically and were chosen based upon their education and experience in working with electrical modalities.

The practice has continued and now is the standard for the use of interferential units which are outperforming the traditional tens units for pain relief.

For some manufacturers and distributors the message of believing in the product never caught on and they went to the wayside. For others it was a belief in a new technology that would help and the distributors took a chance, patient by patient, resulting in a new fair way of patient trials.

Today no patient should be expected to buy a tens or interferential unit unless the patient has been given a chance to try the unit for a week or more. Tens and Interferential units are consigned liberally across the U.S. for the free trials.

The practice of consigning tens units to clinics was novel at the time but it turned out to be the right and fair way if you believed in your product. Now to apply that to the drug industry..(:)

If you suffer from arthritis then you will know just how difficult the pain related to this condition can be to treat. There have been some developments though in the treatment of arthritis pain in the last few years. You should consider tens machine hire as a way forward for your treatment to help you relieve chronic pain.

Tens machine hire is widely available now online. This could be a very effective way for you to treat pain without having to rely on intensive pain relief drugs. Tens machines can also be effective for pain relief in labour.

How Does a Tens Machine Treat Arthritis Pain?

The main issue with arthritis is that currently there is no effective cure. This means that treatment involves controlling the symptoms instead of trying to cure them. For arthritis sufferers pain is one of the main and most unpleasant symptoms. Because the arthritis is untreatable pain can be a constant in sufferer’s lives. Conventional medicine can treat pain using powerful drugs. However these can have unfortunate side effects when taken long term that can make the patient feel even worse than before.

- These days pain management for arthritis sufferers is focused on looking for alternatives to drugs. Tens machine hire can offer a long term solution that comes without any side effects for patients to worry about.

- A tens machine will not treat arthritis. Instead it is a pain management device that can be used to treat the chronic pain caused by arthritis.

- Studies have shown clearly that arthritis sufferers can benefit from tens machine hire. These devices can provide effective long term pain relief for this condition.

- The device itself works on a very simple idea. Your body registers pain through electronic pulses that are transmitted to the brain by your nervous system.

- The tens machine emits a disruptive pulse of low electricity that is designed to disrupt these pain messages before they can get to the brain.

- This means when you place the pads from the tens machine close to the part of your body in pain you can dull this sensation and make it more manageable.

- With tens machine hire you can treat pain over ang per loiod of time without any adverse effects.

- An additional benefit is that this treatment will not interact with any drugs you are taking for other arthritis symptoms.

- One of the problems with pain relief drugs is they can interact with other drugs and cause additional problems for patients.

- Many arthritis suffers can benefit from tens machine hire. However before you use these devices you should check with your doctor.

- You can combine tens machine hire with other more natural pain relief treatments such as physiotherapy.

- This can be a useful way to ease stiffness in the joints and muscles and also improve your overall mobility.

Tens machine hire can provide a non-invasive, side effect free way to manage the pain caused by arthritis. You will be able to hire these devices online quickly and easily and have them delivered straight to your door.

Are you among the 10 percent of adults worldwide the World Health Organization claims are affected by migraine headaches? Even if you are, you probably can’t relate to Ron Riegner, 54, who until four years ago had migraine headaches almost every day for two decades.

The Bechtelsville man, who operates a large auto supply business with his wife, Duane, described what his life was like until he was introduced to a relatively new treatment, a peripheral nerve stimulator, that he said “gave him his life back again.”

Riegner’s migraines are classified as chronic and the symptoms became more severe over time. “Once I had a headache that lasted 18 days,” he said.

The severity of his headache pain varied from day to day, but before he began using the stimulator, he generally had to take one day off from work every other week or so.

When people have frequent migraines, their lifestyle and that of their family is severely disrupted. On the days Ron had to take off from work, Duane stepped in and ran the business with help from their employees.

The couple, who have two adult children now in their late 20s, said the children grew up making sacrifices to adapt to Ron’s disability.

For Riegner, each day began with the anxiety of not knowing if he was going to have a migraine and how severe it would be.

On bad days, the headaches came on with intense pressure that extended to the back of his eye, his jaw and even his ear, Riegner said. As the pain escalated, light and noises heightened the discomfort even more and he knew he had to get to a dark, quiet room — apart from family activities

Fortunately, sometimes Riegner had an aura or a signal of a pending migraine. For him, the trigger was seeing halo-like, flashing lights. If he took his prescribed oral narcotic, hydrocodone, at this time, the pain was sometimes less or did not occur at all. Not all patients who have migraines have auras.

When Riegner developed nausea and vomiting, classic signs of migraines, he frequently had to go to a local hospital emergency room, sometimes in the middle of the night, where he received injectable muscle relaxants and narcotics to dull the pain.

During the 20 years Riegner’s headaches were getting worse, he saw about a half-dozen different doctors, including neurologists. Whenever a new drug was marketed for migraines, Riegner took it for varying amounts of time. Sometimes these drugs worked for a short time, but often the side effects were too severe.

Riegner admitted he was beginning to believe he was destined to live with this pain for the rest of his life. While depression is often associated with migraines, the soft-spoken, polite man said he can’t say he was depressed. But he didn’t have much to look forward to and his headaches consumed his life.

About five years ago, one of Riegner’s customers, who had been in a car accident and subsequently suffered headaches, told him about the successful treatment he received at the Jefferson Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia. Riegner was encouraged and began trying to get an appointment to be evaluated for his migraines.

The Jefferson Headache Center is one of the very few academic headache centers in the country. Founded in 1982, it specializes in the treatment of patients with all types of headaches. As such, there is a large demand for patient appointments.

“I was persistent. Every few months I would call Jefferson to try to get an appointment with one of the doctors,” Riegner admitted. Eventually he was seen by Dr. Stephen D. Silberstein, director of the Jefferson Center and past president of the American Headache Society.

After Riegner provided a thorough history of his headaches, was examined and underwent a number of tests, he was asked by Silberstein if he would be interested in participating in a clinical trial looking at a new treatment for those with chronic migraines. Chronic was defined as being migraines that last or recur at least 15 days a month.

Riegner was one of 157 participants in the study. Participants were implanted with the St. Jude Medical Genesis™ neurostimulator and randomly assigned to an active or control group for 12 weeks. The active group received stimulation immediately upon implant, while patients in the control group did not receive stimulation until after the first 12 weeks. All patients were followed for one year.

Last June 23, at the 15th International Headache Congress in Berlin, Germany, Silberstein presented the results of the study involving the neurostimulator.

As principal investigator for the study, Silberstein, said, “Many migraine patients have exhausted all current treatment options and often are disabled by the pain and frequency of migraine attacks. Achieving a reduction in the number of days they suffer from headache and a significant improvement in their quality of life may be even more important than pain reduction alone.”

“This research,” Silberstein concluded, “demonstrates that peripheral nerve stimulation can ease the suffering of chronic migraine patients.”