TENS Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators
PainCare, BioTENS, A-TENS, Han Therapy, Premier Plus
TENS produces a low level stimulus or intermittent current to comfortably stimulate surface nerves.
High Rate frequencies in the 80-150 pps range for long term wearing for pain relief
Low Rate frequencies in the 10-20 pps range for short 10-30 minute treatments during the day
Wide Pulse Width settings 120-300 for large muscle areas
Narrow Pulse Width settings 10-120 for small areas such as hands and face.
Electrode Application:
Two channels of 2 electrodes each can be used to independently treat 2 separate areas of pain.
Current should flow across and intersect nerves “between the pain and the brain”. Very specific localized pains can also use a crossing placement of 4 electrodes similar to interferential stimulation
There are many modes of stimulation available on a variety of TENS models.
-Conventional Mode delivers a constant and steady beat of rate from 1-200 pulses per second. This is the most widely used mode of treatment.
-Burst Mode delivers a packet or burst of 7-10 pulses rather than a single pulse. Burst is more comfortable than conventional modes when using low Hz settings.
-Modulated rate, width and amplitude modes deliver constantly varying rates, width and amplitudes to reduce sensory accommodation.
-Strength Duration Modes deliver a modulated current to match the strength duration threshold curve of pain.
-Han Therapy modes deliver a mix of stimuli to produce the full spectrum of the body’s own pain modulators.
