Tens units are proven effective for the relief of pain, and are a great alternative to addictive painkillers or other drugs. These units are safe, non-invasive, and FDA-regulated. They are only available by or on the order of a physician, as mandated by federal law. "TENS" stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. After about thirty minutes of use, most patients feel their pain begin to ease. These units have been in popular use for the past two decades, and are even reimbursable by most insurance providers.

How Do Tens Units Work?

Here's how the unit works: A tens unit works by generating an electrical impulse that is sent through the body via electrodes. The electrodes are placed over the patient's nerve centers, and as the impulse flows through the body, pain signals are blocked. Without such an impulse, those pain signals would travel through nerve fibers and reach the brain; consequently, the brain would be aware of the need to feel pain. When you use a tens unit with a patient, you're interrupting the patient's ability to be aware of pain. Using a tens unit can help significantly with a patient's pain management, leaving him or her free from chronic pain. When using the tens unit on a patient, you may find it effective to place the electrodes on or near acupuncture points. Also, you should remember that placing the electrodes in the same place on the patient's skin during each session may lead to skin irritation--vary your electrode placement to avoid this.

The best and easiest way to purchase a tens unit for your practice is to buy one online. Depending on how often you'll use the tens unit or on how much money you can afford to spend, you'll find affordable machines with the features you need most. Some tens units have one constant mode, with a set pulse width, rate, and amplitude. Other units have up to five modes, with handy features such as a timer. Most systems will come with the peripheral supplies you need, including a stimulator, lead wires, disposable electrodes, a battery, and a carrying case.

When searching for a vendor, be sure they also sell replacement supplies. You'll need to place periodic orders for electrodes, or you may even want to try a different style of electrode. Be sure you select a vendor that can offer you a wide variety of both tens units and supplies for those units. The average monthly usage in terms of supplies includes two packs of electrodes, one butterfly electrode, and two batteries. It's a good idea to always keep several months' worth of supplies on hand, just in case.