What should you know about a pocket TENS unit?

TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. The unit connects to pads placed on clean skin near the painful area. Its pulses can change how pain signals are processed and may encourage comfortable movement. The sensation is usually a tingling or tapping feeling, not a sharp shock. Relief varies, and TENS does not repair a torn tendon, broken bone, or other underlying problem.

A pocket design is convenient for short sessions at home or while travelling, but the device still needs correct pad placement and an appropriate intensity. A physiotherapist can show you how to position the pads for your body region.

Read the device instructions and start at a low setting, increasing only to a strong but comfortable tingling. Keep pads on intact skin and check for redness after removing them. Do not place pads across the front of the neck, over the head, across the chest, or directly over broken or infected skin. Keep the unit switched off before moving pads.

Ask a clinician before using TENS if you have a pacemaker or another implanted electrical device, reduced sensation, epilepsy, or uncertainty about the painful area. TENS works best as one part of a plan that may include exercise, activity changes, and treatment of the cause.

Stop using the unit if it causes burning, worsening pain, dizziness, unusual weakness, or a persistent skin reaction. Seek prompt medical assessment for new limb weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin, severe pain after an injury, or a limb that becomes cold or changes colour. These signs need assessment rather than electrical stimulation.

Ask: Is TENS suitable for the cause of my pain? Where should the pads go? What setting and session length should I use? Which symptoms mean I should stop? How will we know whether it is helping?