Question | Answer |
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is | widely used for acute and chronic pain management. |
Areas of use include | obstetrics, temporomandibular joint pain, and postoperative pain. |
The main therapeutic effects of TENS include. | pain relief through the gate control theory or the endogenous opiate pain control theory |
TENS units are portable and | indicated for home use. |
Conventional TENS Frequency: | 50 – 150 Hz |
Conventional TENS Duration: | 20 – 100 microseconds |
Conventional TENS Amplitude: | 10 – 30 mA |
Acupuncture-like TENS Frequency: | 1 – 4 Hz |
Acupuncture-like TENS Duration: | 100 – 200 microseconds |
Acupuncture-like TENS Amplitude: | 30 – 80 mA |
Pulse burst TENS Frequency: | 70 – 100 Hz / burst |
Pulse burst TENS Duration: | 40 – 75 microseconds |
Pulse burst TENS Amplitude: | 30 – 60 mA |
Brief intense TENS (high-intensity) Frequency: | 70 – 100 Hz / burst |
Brief intense TENS (high-intensity) Duration: | 150 – 200 microseconds |
Brief intense TENS (high-intensity) Amplitude: | 30 – 60 mA |
this chart is to be used as a | guideline for overall understanding of the mechanism of action behind each type of TENS and its outcome based on those settings. |
The waveforms used are | monophasic pulsatile current or biphasic pulsatile current with a spiked square, rectangular or sine wave form. |
Electrode placement may be based on | sites of nerve roots, trigger points, acupuncture sites or key points of pain and sensitivity. |
Net polarity is normally equal | to zero. If the waveform is unbalanced there will be an accumulation of charges that will lead to skin irritation under the electrodes. |