Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is an evolution of attempts to stimulate nerves directly with implanted electrodes to treat pain. It was found that you could get a similar effect with superficial electrodes. It is traditionally used to treat pain. They are often sold to patients to use at home. Various machines are on the market but all are typically used to treat pain. A typical machine has preset programs and most allow you to adjust the frequency and intensity. Most of the older machines use low frequencies (10 Hz is typical). But use of low frequencies like that will increase muscle tone and if used near tight or spasmy muscles will make the patient worse not better. So newer machines use higher frequencies such as those shown by Han to work. TENS is used mostly to treat back or joint pain. TENS works through two mechanisms. Primarily it stimulates the nervous system to release endorphins. Second if it is done with a continuous stimulus stimulation (typical) it it triggers the adaptation response to trick the brain into ignoring signals from that area, thus somewhat reducing pain for that area. Both TENS and CES use non-polarized waveforms. I don’t use TENS at all, at least not with non-polarized waveforms. I use polarized waveforms with a continuous waveform all the time. Mainly to treat inflammation. Sometimes I will use it to relax tight or spasmy nuscles by using an interferation setup to relax muscles in a large area.
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