What should you know about the TENS 7000 Unit?

TENS uses a battery-powered controller and adhesive electrode pads. Stimulation travels through the skin and may alter the way the nervous system processes pain signals. You may feel pulsing, buzzing, or tingling under the pads. It should remain comfortable rather than painful. The unit can sometimes make movement or prescribed exercises easier, but pain relief does not repair an injured structure or establish a diagnosis. It is therefore best viewed as a supportive tool alongside an assessment and a rehabilitation plan. Different pad positions and settings can produce different sensations, so copying another person’s setup is unhelpful.

Check the leads, pads, and battery before starting. Place electrodes on clean, dry, intact skin in the pattern recommended for your symptoms. Switch the controller off before attaching or removing pads. Start low, then adjust slowly until the stimulation is noticeable but comfortable. Keep the unit dry and do not use it while driving, sleeping, bathing, or exercising in a way that could dislodge the pads. Avoid the front of the neck, head, eyes, and a current path across the chest. Do not apply pads over damaged skin or areas with reduced sensation unless your clinician has given specific instructions.

Remove the pads and stop if you develop burning, painful shocks, persistent redness, blistering, dizziness, palpitations, or worsening symptoms. Seek urgent assessment for severe pain after an accident, sudden loss of strength, new bladder or bowel problems, or rapidly developing numbness. Book a review if the pain is unexplained, repeatedly returns, or is limiting work, walking, sleep, or self-care. Discuss suitability before use if you have a pacemaker or another implanted electronic device, are pregnant, have epilepsy, or cannot reliably feel the skin beneath the pads.

Ask your clinician to mark safe electrode locations and explain the settings for your particular pain. Confirm how long to use the unit, how it fits with physiotherapy, and when lack of improvement should prompt a reassessment. Ask about pad hygiene, skin checks, and precautions related to implants or reduced sensation.