A few weeks ago we ran a very successful blog on pain management. One of the threads was
about using TENS machine to help treat pain. To read more of the blog please go to https://patienttalk.org/?p=225.
One of the big discussions was the use of TENS machine to treat pain. With one reader saying
“I had a friend that let me try his tens unit just when my nerve pain was starting. Within 5 minutes of using the tens unit my pain was gone. I then saw a PT Dr. who said the tens unit helps a whole bunch of patients. It is worth a shot, they are not that expansive and is better than medicine.”
On the other hand another reader recounted “no it does its makes it worst i use it to the tens unit and it doesnt do anything for my pain.”
So it seems that experiences are pretty divided. Because of these we thought it would be interesting to focus on the use of TENS machines to treat pain. We would love it if you could tell us about your experience of using TENS machines in the comments box below.
But what actually is a TENS machine and how does it work? Well TENs machines, or to give then their full name Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation machines use of electrical current to reduce pain. Typically the current is applied by two or more electrodes on the skin.
Have you ever used a TENS machine? How effective did you find it?
It would be great if you could share your knowledge with other readers of the blog. To help you frame your contribution you might wish to consider the following questions:-
a) What is your main medical condition which caused you pain?
b) Have you ever tried a TENS machine?
c) How effective was the TENS machine compared to other treatments?
d) How did you use the TENS machine? For how long and where on your skin for example?
e) How did you obtain the TENS machine? Is there any machine you would recommend?
Obviously these are just guidelines so please share anything you think may be of interest or useful to other readers in the comments box below.
Many thanks in advance for your contributions to the blog!
yes, I have a tens unit and use it. I have fibro and my shoulders and neck tense up and then there is pain so I use it more on the back of my shoulders and neck. I have also broken my shoulder in the ball joint and since there was nothing they could do I used it for that also. I love it! I also do massage once a week but due to finances have been going 1x a month and it is like starting all over…. very painful unless you keep it up. so for the people that found it painful they might have had it on too high of setting and/or too long of a time until you are used to it.
I have a TENS unit only thing it does is…that it takes your mind off the pain while unit is on!!!!
Did you ever experience burning from patches. Have used for years life saver now burning so much try wonder if burning pian better than back pain use it in upper back for chronic spasms. Psychosomatic as no sx and have major depression anxiety etc thanks
I meant under 20 dillars
Do you get burning with the patches. I’ve used it for years and now have burning when patches on specially at typo of. Any ideas would help thanks therese
They are pretty cheap on Amazon 49 patches by sonic are for under 29 dollars and to keep used them just reset them w a little water and they can last fir weeks.
I ha be used tens unit for years fit back sass works great. But now the patches ones I always years cause skin to burn especially at top of patchrs. Please let me know any information. Desperately need for pain nut burning is bad. Tcpassion@ gmail.com
Hi Ann im a veterinary physiotherapist and ive been using the TENS on myself because of my MS and on horses for years.
TENS machine pads can last a lot longer if you start using ultrasound gel on them when the sticky part of the pad becomes unusable! Eventually the stikky part will come off all together but with ultrasound gel you can still use the pad until the wires start breaking…. The gel is not very expensive and you dont need a lot of it.
Meh! I am not enthralled with a TENS unit. I’ve used one both at the chiropractor’s with bad experience, and at home for myofacial pain in my neck an shoulders.
At the chiro’s office they’d put the pads on accordingly, set the unit, turn it on and walk away, leaving me in a curtained off “bed.” The bloody thing would malfunction for some odd reason, increasing the current to my muscles. I would end up worse off because of the spastic effect; I told them I was no longer interested in being hooked up to that method of treatment.
I much prefer nerve blocks and accupressure.
I had never heard of a TENS machine until today. I have chronic arthritis and have undergone 3 knee surgeries. Just within the last 2 years I began to suffer from on and off back pain till it finally got to the point I had to seek medical help. My MRI showed I had 2 herniated discs and spinal stenosis. I was prescribed no medication and have tried to be patient waiting on injections to my spine while working a full time physically demanding job at 49 years old. Just today after having the machine hooked up I could been and do things I haven’t been able to do in almost a year. I haven’t slept ….couldn’t eat ….couldn’t function the way I needed too. I feel so much better after wearing this device for only hours I’m thinking I might not have to have back surgery after all. I realize it may not work for everyone but im saying I’m glad I gave it a try !!!
I was going to PT for shoulder pain due to a problem unrelated to MS. My PT therapist recommended a TENS unit and I ordered one. I had at that time, been up at night for a week straight with leg spasms/cramps and had gotten online on one of my MS support groups asking for help. Someone mentioned that they had used a TENS for spasms and it worked. I had never thought of that so that night I used it on my legs/ feet and for the first time in a week I slept ALL night long! When I woke up the next morning I could not believe that I had slept all night without jumping out of bed in pain! Now I use it every night before I go to bed and I sleep all night.
I have used a tens machine a couple of years ago when I hurt my back. My doc wanted me to use It & wrote me a prescription for a tens machine but my insurance wouldn’t pay for it. The tens machine was the last thing I used during physical therapy.
My aunt let me use hers & it felt so good!!! It made the pain go away for a short period of time.
I have fibromyalgia and have recently started using a tens machine for the pain …… it enables me to use LESS pain relieving drugs but the down side is that whereas I get free prescriptions for drugs I have to buy the replacement pads for my tens and so cannot afford to use it as much as I would like. Any Ideas???
I used a tens unit when giving birth to my first baby – but I’m not at all convinced it did anything to help.
I have a tens unit. It was ordered for a slipped disc in my lower back. Since then i have developed neuropathy and have used it and it works very well for me. I have the portable one that clips in my jeans so i could use it all day long if i needed to. In feb of this year My husband got. Diagnose with ms. I want him to use this because i know it will help some of his pain with MS there isn’t much a caretaker can do to ease the pain so i highly recommend a tens unit
I have Grade IV articular cartilage damage and OA confined to my kneecap and medial compartments in my right knee. I have associated valgus deformity and nerve damage because of it. I was a runner and heredity and overuse worked against me. I’m told I’m too young for a partial knee resurfacing (PKR) – waiting on a 2nd opinion on that – in the meantime while I’m awaiting a lavage/debridement procedure to buy more time- I’m using a TENS machine to do my quadricep strengthening exercises 3x a week in PT. I’ve been using the machine since June 2013. The electrodes are placed on my saphenus nerve (medial side), just above and below the kneecap. I have plateaued so the machine started out at a high 500 setting but is now down to a 5 on both channels. So, it is slowly becoming less and less effective for pain control so my PT is doing accupressure first then he puts me on the machine. That seems to be working for now. This is the most effective way of doing my PT so far as cortizone shots, Synsvic, Hyalgan shots and celebrex, along with other nsaids did not work. I am also on 120mg of cymbalta a day but that works partially – stops bad flare-ups – while I am out/and after multiple video assignments in all conditions/terrain (I am a videographer for a newspaper) and a USAF OIF/OEF combat veteran. The condition reared its ugly head while I was deployed last year. Right now real treatment has stopped while the gov. is shut down so maintaining the PT and TENS is more important than ever right now. Basically, I’m treading water (maintaining) while I wait.
Is anyone having difficulty with posting?
I have just started using a TENS machine for pain in my feet that I have endured for over 20 years. It works great. I have flat feet and when I stand for long periods of time or walk a long distance I have a burning feeling and pain all throughout my both feet. Even when I am cleaning my home, I suffer from the pain. Now that I finally have obtained this machine… I am able to do so many things than before. The only side effect is that I have noticed a lot of lower back pain after I use it. So now I am wondering should I use it on my back and if I do, will the pain go elsewhere.
I have DDD and fibromyalgia that results in severe pain in my lower back, hips, shoulders and legs. I don’t want to use narcotics to manage my pain and I’m already taking a lot of medication for other health problems. I tried the steroid shots in my back but can only get 4 shots a year. I got some relief from the shot but it doesn’t last as long as I need it to. My pain management doctors recommended pain cream that requires me to rub it into the area for at least 3 minutes; I rubbed the area for 5 minutes but sustained no relief. I use the TENS unit for 45 minutes several times a day, mostly in my lower back and get relief for a couple hours at a time.
I’ve used TENS for many years because of neuropathic pain after multiple operations. I put the pads in the lower back area and allows switching on as loud as I can, to make it really hurts, so I turn it down to just below the pain threshold. This causes the body to produce a maximum of endorphins which in turn makes the pain less. My pain is not sitting in the low back, but this is where I get results from all the neural pathways so that endorphin levels are best achieved.
Recommend everyone to try TENS, it is harmless and you can use it as much or as little as you want.
Recommended pocket size so you can have the device with you everywhere.
TENS coves as well as painkillers as long as you use it properly, it will not hurt, but as high strength as possible.
Remember that you should not use it near an incident, it can aggravate the pain. Never use the head or if you are pregnant.
There is no reason not to try, it is harmless and something you can control yourself
(Sorry for my bad english – I’m from Norway)
Just possibly the tens machine may help the possible nerve damadge in my heei,which burns and feels like someoneis sticking a hot needlle into my heel
a) What is your main medical condition which caused you pain? I was in a car accident. I had a tear in my shoulder and a tear in my ankle. I also had neck pain, a bulging disc, and bad whip lash. We were trying to do anything before I had to go to surgery on my ankle and shoulder. Luckily with years of physical therapy and everything I did, I did not have to do surgery. But I had a lot of pain and tightness in my shoulder and my ankle hurt.
b) Have you ever tried a TENS machine? Yes, I own one.
c) How effective was the TENS machine compared to other treatments? It helped a lot. My pain went down. It helped make it bare-able. I don’t think I would compare it to other treatments because they all work together to easy the pain and help you heal.
d) How did you use the TENS machine? For how long and where on your skin for example? I used it at physical therapy and I also had a machine I got to take home. I used it for years. I used it on my shoulders, neck, and my ankle. I sometimes still use it if my shoulders are bothering me.
e) How did you obtain the TENS machine? Is there any machine you would recommend? My physical therapist and doctor wrote a prescription and my insurance paid for it. I would recommend a TENS. I got a small one so I could walk around and do things at the house with it on.
a) What is your main medical condition which caused you pain? Chronic Headaches, tightness in shoulder & neck muscles radiates to head, lower back/bulging disc pain, rheumatoid arthritis in both knees.
b) Have you ever tried a TENS machine? Yes, still use TENS machine.
c) How effective was the TENS machine compared to other treatments? On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate it 10 for effectiveness. I would not compare to other treatments rather I would say it compliments other treatments.
d) How do you use the TENS machine? For how long and where on your skin for example? I use my TENS unit on 1. areas stem of my neck leading to the base of the skull, the curve of the neck into the shoulder, and the actual shoulder.2. lower back a. spine & b. across the buttocks. 3. around both knees. I have been using my tens unit for probably 7 years now.
e) How did you obtain the TENS machine? Initially I got a cheesey version from my chropractor but after several years of it working so well, my Primary Care Doctor got me a real one that zones in to specific areas of your body. Is there any machine you would recommend? Empi manufactured models.
I swear by mine, I would not be with out it. There are some days I wish it would go a little bit stronger but that is a matter of personal preference. It certainly helps to relieve the pain and reduces the number of pain medications I have to take. I recommend giving it a try. From what I understand most insurance companies cover them under your durable medical benefits. Mine did.
Yes. If properly used, it DOES NOT cause pain in any form. Most people experience pain from it because they receive absolutely no training from a physical therapist or other knowledgeable provider. Incomplete or poor electrode contact, skin that is too dry or too damp (water,oil, lotion, salves, etc) will cause an electrode to come flying loose. People who have a chronically high body temperature (i.e., rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, reactive arthritis) will find that regular electrodes will fall off after about 2 or 3 hours, as opposed to the multiple uses they are supposed to last. There are electrodes made with “aggressive gel”. That’s exactly what they’re called in the catalogues. The gel layer is thicker and a little stickier. My physical therapist gave me a whole roll of Hypafix wound dressing fixative. The stuff is amazing! It doesn’t make me itch, swell and turn red like all other forms of tapes. The stuff will keep my electrodes in place and in contact for up to 3 days, including through the shower. It does require a gentle approach to remove, but totally worth it. Hypafix is made of silicon packaging, latex-free sticky stuff and a cotton backing.
I will occasionally wear my TENS unit 24 hours for several days at a time. I have inflammatory arthritis in most of my joints. In my hips, it has totally destroyed my cartilage. I am bone on bone in the left hip (dx’d grade IV degeneration in 2009) and half bone on bone in my right hip (dx’d grade IV degeneration in 2007). My doctor doesn’t know how I’m still walking. Some days, I can’t. Some days, my TENS unit helps me maintain my independent mobility. Some days, the only thing that helps is several doses of Dilaudid and rest. But for the usual, moderate pain and inflammation, my TENS unit is my go-to treatment. I highly recommend people give it a try, even just once to see if it can help.
Ive had fibromyalgia my whole entire life. Never got the official disagnosis until age 19. Almost 14 years ago. That is my main diagnosis although I have many. My insurance paid for me to have a tens unit and they deliver pads or electrodes every few months. The tens unit helps with my minor pains but never for the really bad days when fibromyalgia kicks my butt. I notice with each year though my fibro gets worse and so does my memory.
I have RSD in my right hand/arm. During my occupatoinal therapy, we tried to use a unit. Unfortunately, the pads against my skin caused to much burning pain on my skin that I could never tell if the TENS machine was helping.
Nana~ i have used the tens unit for 3 years now i hd awful lower back pain due to bulging disk well then i was told i am a diabetic an i got the pain my feet a up my legs so i used my tena unit there and i was reliefed of all pain it ia great. its price is a little hi if you have to pay it yourself i lucky my insurance paid for it.it a great pain reliver an better than putting all those pain pills in you.I got mine at the therapist an mine is an empi.
i have the equivalent of a tens machine in my back no good for my pain as i got it there for other reasons but it works for that but anything worth a try for the pain x
I have used a tens machine off and on for about 20 years I use it at the moment for fibromyalgia and for back pain and I am awaiting denervation on my spine.I have used it in the past for shoulder pain whilst waiting to have a operation on my shoulder I would recommend trying one to anyone who is in pain you wont know if it will work until you try it
I have fibromyalgiaand I purchased a tens machine.from.lloyds chemist for 20pounds. It is a dual one so has 4 pads. I only find it effective during the time its actually on…I havw tried it on my back and legs. Once I switch it off the pain is back. However I do find it useful when my lower backgoes into spasm…I stick the tens on for an hour or so and my back muscles relax again.
I have sclerosis of the lower back and after i had an epidermal for my hysterectomy there was nerve damage in that area that made it so i couldn’t stand, sit, sleep from the pain. Pain medications barely touched it. Finally through physical therapy and the use of the TENS unit I have found relief. I use the Empi TENS unit on my lower back whenever I need it. Some days I only need it set on low levels and on others much higher. I obtained the unit through my primary care doctor and also at my back specialist’s recommendation. It has helped me considerable to have a more normal life. I sincerely hope others try this device. I place the four pads in a small square about 2″ x 2″ diameter. I cross the connection to form an X with the wires. I have been using my TENS unit for 3 yrs now. Sincerely, Colleen Pike-Korrecta from Rumford, Maine USA