
The Benefits of Using TENS Units For Pain Relief
There has been a lot of discussion around the usage of TENS units for pain relief, especially in the lower back region. Many reports have indicated that it does indeed work to some extent while others have reported that it doesn't work as well as they expected.
Well, today we're going to talk about the benefits of TENS units really. Since there are so many research studies that have actually shown an improvement in reducing the pain for the patients, I'd like to take a moment to discuss the pro's of the TENS treatment and its various types of machines and units.
How Does TENS Units Relieve You Of Pain?
TENS is a term that deals with electromagnetic pulses that strikes a certain point of your body in order affect the nervous system. This causes a stimulation for the nerves and will in may cases relieve a person of the pain that region.
The treatment focuses more on a short-term relief of the pain by accessing the nervous system by either applying a sensory level stimulation, which focuses on distracting the pain signals, and motor level stimulation, which focuses on causing the release of opiate-like substances in your body.
Note the word region above, which I would like to put an emphasis on. TENS treatments only work when you apply it to a certain region of the pain, one region at a time, for best effect.
Trying to cover your entire body will only result in a failure, I'm afraid. Not a dangerous one mind you, but a failure of actually relieving you of any kind of chronic back pain.
In this example of a study on knee osteoarthritis, the results proved to be quite positive when applying TENS units to the source of the pain. There are a wide variety of research studies out there, so if you want to read up on them, do a quick Google search.The Main Benefits Of TENS Usage
Now we get into the meat of this article, the actual benefits of using the units. So, what are the benefits of using a TENS unit then?
- You increase the chances of reducing the chronic pain you experience:
The point of using a TENS unit is to stimulate the nerves and distract the pain centers around the source in order to simulate a reduced feeling of chronic pain.
- You may be able to reduce the striking pain felt from time to time:
If you get strikes of pain from time to time then maybe a TENS unit treatment might do the trick, as I explained above.
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You can increase your overall stress management skills by not focusing on the actual pain:
By focusing on the pain you feel and experience you automatically reduce the stress management skills you possess, making every day seem more stressful than it really is. By applying TENS treatment and reducing the feeling chronic pain you can actually boost your skills in managing the stress.
- You develop better sleep patterns and routines by using TENS units for chronic pain:
It's a known fact that pain can reduce the hours of sleep you get each and every night, so by by using TENS units you might be able to increase the hours of sleep you get and result in you feeling more relaxed.
- You feel less fatigued since you don't have to lay as much energy on pain:
Fatigue is a part of everyday life and isn't really anything special, but by focusing and spending large amounts of energy on being in pain, you will become more fatigued than the average person. So by stimulating the pain and nerves by using a TENS unit, you might be able to reduce the level of fatigue.
- They are easy to use:
Even though TENS units are indeed advanced medical machines, they are actually quite easy to use so you don't have to worry about not understanding their functions and how to use them.
Now, it's important to understand that this kind of treatment should never be considered absolute and should never be the sole treatment for chronic pain in your body. TENS unit treatments are mainly short-term pain relief solutions and will most likely not help you in the long run, if you only rely on it.
What Is The Best Home TENS Unit Then?
Well, there is really not a “best” one, since everyone is unique and will respond differently, but there is definitely a few of the best at the very least, and this is one of them.
It has a rechargeable electric pain massager with a 24 mode touchscreen for easy use. You also get a pair of extra muscle pain relief pads in the package, aside from the original ones which you connect to the machine.
It has time and time again proven to be an effective portable TENS machine and electric therapy machine for those in need of a short-term pain stimulation.