What should you know about the Empi TENS unit?

The electrodes deliver a controlled tingling over or near a painful region. This stimulation may influence pain signalling and help you move more comfortably for a period of time. TENS is a symptom-management tool: it does not set a fracture, heal an open wound, or identify why pain began. A clinician may combine it with graded activity, physiotherapy, posture changes, heat or cold advice, and treatment directed at the cause.

The response is personal. Some people notice useful relief during a session, while others notice little change or find the sensation uncomfortable. Keep a simple record of comfort, movement, and skin reaction so your clinician can decide whether continued use makes sense.

Place pads only on healthy skin, following the prescribed locations. Begin at a low intensity and increase only to a strong but comfortable tingling. Turn the unit off before removing or repositioning electrodes, and keep pads and leads clean and dry. Do not use it in water, while driving, or where sensation is reduced enough that skin injury could go unnoticed. Check first if you have an implanted electronic device, a seizure disorder, pregnancy, or a skin problem. See this [TENS Unit](/technology/tens-unit/) overview for related information.

Stop and contact a clinician if you develop a burn, persistent redness, blistering, rash, unusual muscle spasm, dizziness, or a new irregular heartbeat sensation. Get urgent help for chest pain, fainting, sudden weakness, severe new pain, or new bladder or bowel difficulty. Do not use electrical stimulation to postpone assessment of a serious change.

What is the safest electrode layout for my pain? How long should each session last? Which sensations are expected, and which suggest skin or nerve irritation? What other treatment should accompany TENS, and when should its benefit be reassessed?