What should you know about electrotherapy TENS units?

TENS means transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. Pads are placed near, rather than directly over, the painful area. The device sends a tingling pattern that can alter how pain signals are processed and may support movement during a rehabilitation session. It does not repair a torn structure or identify why pain started.

A clinician can help choose pad positions, pulse settings, and session timing. The useful sensation is usually strong tingling without sharp pain or forceful muscle contraction. Effects vary, and pain returning after the device is switched off does not necessarily mean the underlying problem has changed.

Use intact, clean skin and follow the device instructions. Turn the output down before moving a pad or switching the unit on or off. Check the skin afterwards for persistent redness, blistering, or irritation. Keep a note of what activity the device helped you do, since that information can guide a broader plan.

Do not place pads over the front of the neck, across the chest, on broken or infected skin, or over areas with reduced sensation unless a clinician specifically advises it. Ask before use if you have an implanted electrical device, a seizure disorder, are pregnant, or cannot reliably feel the skin.

Stop using TENS if it causes burning, a painful shock, a rash, dizziness, palpitations, or worsening symptoms. Get urgent care for new limb weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin, chest pain, or severe pain after an injury. Persistent pain despite appropriate use needs assessment rather than increasingly strong settings.

Where should my pads go for this pain? Which setting and session length should I try? Is TENS suitable with my medicines or implanted devices? What exercise or treatment should accompany it, and what symptoms mean I should stop?