The use of electronic stimulation has been a big part of health care over the last 30 years, but not everyone is fortunate to be clinically educated on the benefits of TENS machines and what they are. So in this article we are going to clear up what exactly is a TENS machine, what they do, how it can benefit you and where you can purchase them!
What is a TENS Machine:
If you don't already know, a TENS machine is an abbreviation for a "transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation" - you can see why it is shortened to TENS, that is some mouthful! To break this down, it is an applied electrical pressure onto your nervous and muscular system - I know it sounds like some kind of torture but we promise it is not.
History of TENS Machine:
The first patient held TENS machine was invented in America in 1976. It was designed to test if chronic lower back pain patients could feel the electrical impulse from the pads. However the patients felt such a pain relieving sensation that they began to use the stimulation in recovery! It was an accidental invention!
How Do They Work:
TENS machines work by sending a transcutaneous impulse through the skin. The pads which are attached to the muscles send an electrical impulse, which alerts the pain receptors of the body. The nervous system then picks up these signals and send them to the brain. The brain then blocks these signals by sending out their own signals back to the stimulated area. If the pain signals can be blocked then the feeling of relief will occur.
What Conditions Do They Help?:
- Muscular tears/strains
- Tendon injuries
- Ligament sprains/tears/ruptures
- Excessive swelling
- Labour Pain
- DOMS Prevention (Delayed Onset of Muscular Soreness)
- Inflammation following injury/surgery
How Long Should I Apply Them?:
At NRG we believe that you should leave TENS machines on for between 20-40 minutes, this should allow enough time for the body to adapt to the stimulation and reduce pain tolerance. We would also suggest increasing intensity every 10 minutes of treatment when the body has adapted. The feeling should be slight discomfort initially but gradual relax after a couple of minutes.
What Settings Should I Use?
To influence the mechanoreceptors, (the nerve receptors of the muscles) you will want to use a frequency of 90-130Hz and an intensity of 80-100mA. Don't worry these units of measurement are clearly visible on the TENS machine and easily adjustable. This doesn't make much sense but it doesn't necessarily need to, as long as it helps relieve pain in the most effective way.
Most TENS machines have two settings, Neutral and Burst. In our opinion at NRG we suggest using a combination of the two when using the equipment for recovery. Neutral is a more constant vibration from the electrical stimulus whilst burst is a pulsing sensation, much like a heart beat. It is also down to personal preference and what feels better for you! Some people will find the pulse sensation more useful, some will find the neutral more useful.
Where Should I Apply The Electrode Pads?:
Luckily when you are either a TENS machine from your therapist, they will show you effective placements of the pads for your particular issue - at NRG we take a photo of the pad placement and send to clients. If you are purchasing your own TENS machine, they usually come with a leaflet which has the different placements for different injuries and issues. If not, there is plenty of content online which will show you where to place the pads for your certain issues.
Our Opinion:
At NRG we believe that electro-stim and TENS has a massive part to play in injury rehab and recovery. Not only the pain prevention techniques but also at a muscular level. The passive contraction of the muscle allows for increased blood flow to the area, this will of course help recovery. The fresh blood will replace the de-oxygenated blood with fresh oxygen to help repair tears, remove lactic acid and rebuild muscle tissue. This is why we suggest using TENS post workout, directly after inflammation inducing injury or post surgery to begin the reparation of the damage!
Where to find TENS?:
TENS machines are easily available for anyone. You can either pick up old school style TENS (wires and soft pads), or pick up the newer models which are wireless. Both styles can be found on sites like amazon and similar web pages. The prices vary but you should be able to pick a good one up from between £30-£100 pounds!
And that concludes our article on the Benefits of a TENS machine! We hope you enjoyed it and found it beneficial. If you have any more questions with regards TENS, where to buy, where to place the pads, how intense then please let us know! Either comment below, message us on social media or send us an email!
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