Do TENS Units Have Research to Back Up Their Use?

TENS are small machines, battery powered, that deliver electrical current by way of surface electrodes to the skin. These machines are safe, noninvasive, and inexpensive (usually less than $100).

In 1965 Melzack and Wall published their pain gate theory which proposed that a gate existed in part of the spinal cord which could regulate the traffic of painful sensations. When administering the current with TENS, the objective is to activate the non-painful fibres which can then inhibit transmission of painful information. TENS modulates the method by which patients process the pain sensations from the anatomical area, and potentially help release endorphins that act as natural painkillers.

With regards to complications of TENS units, most research shows no adverse effects at all really. Some, however, displayed an incidence of bradycardia, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Some individuals experienced tingling, pain, and burning, at the site of the electrodes. It does not cause sedation, and does not interact with medications. It is simple to put on, and can be worn and utilized during most physical activities. One contraindication is if the person has a pacemaker, and another one is if the individual is pregnant.

In a large review of existing TENS machine research from the past 2 decades, it has been shown that the quality of research has for the most part been poorly performed. So it is hard to make and true scientific conclusions. There have been well over one hundred scientific studies performed evaluating the effectiveness of TENS units, however, very few actually contained satisfactory numbers to reach any sort of statistical significance.

Even though most of the research evaluated was poor quality that was evaluated, some displayed great results for neurogenic pain, arthritis pain, low back pain, postsurgical pain, and sympathetically medicated pain.

In a 2003 Journal of Pain study, TENS units were evaluated after surgery. Great results were shown after abdominal surgery utilizing TENS. Tens Unit use reduced pain and allowed increased activity during patients’ breathing and walking exercises. A large amount of research has shown no statistical differences between TENS and placebo.

The Osteoarthritis Research Society International suggests using TENS units for short term pain relief of knee and hip arthritis. They evaluated 7 research trials before making this recommendation.

When physicians are asked how TENS units work for patients, the reports individually are promising. The fact that TENS are so low risk makes it a very popular treatment option that gets used a ton for acute and chronic pain issues.

Want to find out more about the best Arizona pain clinic, then visit Preferred Pain Center’s site on how to choose the best Arizona pain doctors for your needs.

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