If you have ever suffered from chronic pain you probably know all about naturopathic and painkilling drugs. And if you are anything like me, you wish there was a better way to cope with such pain than remaining dependent on drugs that can be harmful if not addictive to our bodies. Alternative methods for pain management have been around for centuries but in the past few decades a marvelous little device has been a growing theme for chronic pain sufferers who look for alternatives for pain relief.
To understand my legitimacy in writing this article, it may help to understand why I stand by this particular alternative that I will be mentioning shortly. Several months ago I was involved in a car accident that left me in a Trauma unit for three days. I suffered multiple injuries to my head, back and shoulder. After multiple high-end expensive tests, two surgeries, several months of on-going physical therapy, and several refills of Oxycontin and various muscle relaxers later; I had begun to get fed up with pain coping and reliance on medically approved narcotic drugs.
Suffering from a torn rotator cuff, a slow healing dislocated clavicle (collar bone), and a lower back injury resulting in sciatica (irritation of the sciatic nerve), my physical therapist and doctors all agreed that it was time to use what is called a TENS unit.
TENS stands for Transcutaneous (TRANS-Q-TAIN-E-US) Electrical Nerve Stimulation. It’s a tiny little device designed to send electrical impulses to your brain, while interrupting various nerves and pain receptors that receive and transmit pain signals from whatever part of your body that is injured and hurting. The device itself is adjustable in how fast, how frequent, and how much electric impulses are transmitted, and uses electrodes that can be placed virtually almost anywhere where you are feeling pain.
Though the unit is used mostly by chronic pain sufferers, acute pain sufferers can use it as well, and it is fit to help with moderate to severe pain. Though there are some medical doctors that feel that the TENS unit does not help pain sufferers due to the questionable longevity for pain relief (I will discuss this later), most medical doctors will agree that the success reports of pain relief by sufferers is quite high, and it is the only medical device approved by the FDA as an effective, at home, pain-relieving unit for pain sufferers. However, I have found this device most effective in long-term pain relief for my back and shoulder injuries.
The moment that I was placed on the TENS unit, I felt instant relief from pain that usually remains no lower than a 6 on the pain scale and has on numerous occasions hit a 10 on the pain scale. With the TENS unit I was able to complete my physical therapy without pain, and do certain activities such as walk, stand, and bend.
The TENS unit can be used as little as 10 minutes at a time to even being used throughout the day while your up and moving about. It carries no harmful effects and is not addictive. Its only purpose is to “psyche out” your brain’s pain receptors. As stated before, some doctors feel that it carries no use. This is because the TENS unit is not designed to heal the injured part of your body. It’s a coping device much like any other painkilling drug. Most individuals that use the device have reported only feeling pain relief while wearing the device; however others have reported feeling pain relief even several hours after no use of the unit. The time and amount of how much pain relief is observed, is individually based.
As stated before, my pain relief will last up to several hours after using the TENS unit, and though I feel great while using the TENS unit, it does not substitute for the healing and care of an injury or illness that produces pain. I still go to physical therapy three times a week to aide in the healing process, but I am able to more efficiently and comfortable complete my physical therapy and regain a large part of my life back with the use of the unit.
The benefits to owning and using a TENS unit are great. Outside of the fact that they are proven to give temporary and sometimes permanent pain relief, and are non-addictive, they can be used for an array of conditions that cause pain. Whether you are suffering from acute pain due to a sudden injury or a chronic pain sufferer from such things as arthritis, back pain, etc., the TENS unit is capable of handling moderate to severe pain. The other benefits of the TENS unit is that it is FDA approved, can be used by pregnant women 36 weeks and later and during child birth, carries a belt clip to free up your hands, and is typically inexpensive when compared to the constant purchase of pain medications. It has also been widely thought by medical doctors that the TENS unit helps the body in the release of natural endorphins (our bodies natural pain killing drug) to help in the elimination of pain. But like any other device or drug, the TENS unit is not excluded from having its own cons.
As stated earlier in the article, most pain sufferers only report temporary relief and feel their pain return after ending a session with a TENS unit. Though you can use a TENS unit for a prolonged period of time, it is not recommended to drive or sleep with a TENS unit on. The last thing that should be noted about this remarkable device is that though it is not biologically addictive, it is still a device that provides pain relief and therefore some may become dependent on it for that reason alone. Be wise when using a TENS unit and know that it is not designed to heal an injury and should not be substituted for proper medical care of an injury or illness.
Overall, the TENS unit is a viable and proven medical device for pain sufferers. If you suffer from pain, and you have not yet tried a TENS unit, you should ask your medical doctor about possibly being prescribed one.
NOTE: Though the TENS unit is a medical marvel for pain sufferers, there are precautions that should be taken when using the device. Never use a TENS unit when showering or bathing, it is an electrical device! Also do not drive or sleep with a TENS unit. If one of the electrodes falls off, the electrical impulses from the device will no longer be properly dispersed between nodes. A strong electrical impulse not properly dispersed between nodes can cause a muscular jolt. It’s not necessarily painful, but can be a very startling one. Though TENS units are available on the internet without prescriptions, it is not recommended to purchase a unit without the prescription from a medical doctor. TENS units should be prescribed as well as used under the care and supervision of a medical doctor.
