What is TENS? Learn how Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation offers drug-free chronic pain relief by blocking pain signals & releasing endorphins.
In 2019, 20.4% of adults reported chronic pain, and 7.4% had chronic pain that frequently limited life or work activities (termed high-impact chronic pain) during the previous three months. Both chronic and high-impact chronic pain increased with age and were most common among adults aged 65 and over.
Choosing an effective therapy starts with understanding how each option works and what level of relief it may provide. TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) offers a drug-free approach that may help manage chronic pain.
A TENS unit consists of a control box, lead wires, and adhesive gel pads or metal electrodes placed on intact skin. When activated, the device delivers low-voltage pulses that stimulate non-painful sensory fibers, producing a gentle tingling sensation.
Treatment can be given in a clinic or, after instruction, at home with a rented or purchased unit.
The electrical pulses act on both the peripheral nerves (in the limbs and skin) and the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).
Peripherally, TENS is thought to engage "gate-control" mechanisms: activation of fast, non-painful sensory fibers may out-compete slower pain signals, limiting their ascent to higher brain centers [2].
Centrally, TENS may encourage release of endorphins and serotonin while dampening pro-nociceptive chemicals; imaging studies also show altered pain-processing activity in cortical regions during stimulation.
A typical session lasts 30–60 minutes and may be extended up to two hours. Several sessions per day can be used as needed.
Avoid broken, desensitised, or infected skin, malignant tissue, the head, anterior neck, chest, or over the carotid arteries. Electrodes may be placed para-spinally, but not directly over the spinal column.
TENS is contraindicated in people with a cardiac pacemaker, epilepsy, or before 36 weeks’ pregnancy.
Most users experience no adverse effects. Mild skin irritation from the pads, muscle soreness from overuse, or discomfort from excessive intensity may occur.
This information is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
