Electrotherapy

  Since ancient times, people have been using electrotherapy to manage pain. They first used animals as sources of electric current that could be placed on painful areas to promote healing. Live electric fish was used to numb painful areas of the body until the 18th century when Franklinism was discovered. This involves using machines that produce electrostatic electricity.     During the late 18th century, Luigi Galvani, an Italian...

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is one of the most common forms of electrotherapy for pain management. This noninvasive method for relieving pain uses a small device called a TENS unit that emits mild electrical pulses through a set of electrode pads that you stick to your skin. These low-voltage electrical pulses stimulate the nerves of the affected area and reduce pain signals from reaching your brain.      ...

All about what can go wrong in using TENS and how to deal with these problems when encountered: skin irritiation, unfixed electrode pads, no pain relief, nausea. These are just minor problems that can be resolved by doing the following:

1. To avoid skin irritation, make sure to clean the skin with water and air dry it; you can also add skin preparation gel;

2. To ensure electrodes get fixed, try to hold the patches in place with medical tape. You can also try to reactivate the sticky surface;

3. To avoid sensitization to TENS therapy, try other settings or rest from using TENS before resuming;

4. When there's nausea, seek a professional healthcare's help.

In using TENS therapy to manage pain, choosing the right electrode pads is important to ensure that the current emitted by the device is transferred properly to the skin and nerves around painful area in our body. Here are 5 factors to consider in finding the best electrode pad:
1. Universal compatibility. It should fit TENS units' standard 1.8-2.2 mm pigtail connection or 3.5 mm snap connection. 
2. Ready to use. It should be pre-gelled.
3. Long lasting. It come with good packaging- sealed and electrode pads sticked in clean plastic cover.
4. Latex-free and strong adhesion. It should not irritate the skin but should stick well on clean, oil-free skin. 
5. Comes in various shapes and sizes. There should be different shapes and sizes available to fit any area you want to apply TENS therapy on.