# Medical \[TENS units\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 21, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626 "2015-03-21T19:24:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lk122232](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/67e7ee/32.png) [@lk122232](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lk122232)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/1 "2015-03-21T19:24:40Z")
Anyone know anything about the “TENS” units. They Are supposed to be good for pain. Do they actually work? ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/2 "2015-03-21T19:54:12Z")
IANAMD. Worth trying. Doctors often prescribe them. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/3 "2015-03-21T19:56:27Z")
they actually work for some people and some pain. see a doctor to see if one might be useful and how to use it effectively. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/4 "2015-03-21T20:10:13Z")
I’m a chronic pain patient due to FBSS (failed back surgery syndrome). I take opiods daily to control the pain and also use a tens unit. The tens does work and does help relieve pain with some reservations. 1: For me the relief is temporary. It works while in use, but as soon as I turn it off the pain comes back. 2: I seen to have developed a tolerance to the simulation. When I first stated using the device I barely turned up the juice. Now I max the power and still wish the unit provided more. 3: For me it gets irritating after using it for more than say 45 minutes. With that said I recommend one for temporary relief of pain. My experience had only been using it on my lower back. I’m not sure how effective it would be in shoulders, knees and such. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/5 "2015-03-22T02:01:48Z")
I used a TENS unit after a shoulder injury. Worked well. Perhaps I was lucky as I experienced a period of relief that lasted a few hours after each session. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/6 "2015-03-22T03:06:29Z")
**Moderator Action** While this can be answered factually, most of the responses so far are regarding personal experiences. Let’s move this over to IMHO. Note that any factual information about TENS may still be posted. Moving thread from General Questions to In My Humble Opinion. Also, thread title edited to more clearly indicate the topic. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/7 "2015-03-22T05:28:01Z")
I used one through most of an induced labour, and it was really helpful up until the final 40 min or so at which point the pitocin was dialled up pretty high and neither that or the gas were able to really take more than an edge off the pain so I got a shot of pethidine. But had it not been an induction I think it would have taken me the whole way through. ---
**Author:** ![BaldDudePeekskill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@BaldDudePeekskill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaldDudePeekskill)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/8 "2015-03-22T19:45:31Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > I’m a chronic pain patient due to FBSS (failed back surgery syndrome). I take opiods daily to control the pain and also use a tens unit. The tens does work and does help relieve pain with some reservations. > > 1: For me the relief is temporary. It works while in use, but as soon as I turn it off the pain comes back. > > 2: I seen to have developed a tolerance to the simulation. When I first stated using the device I barely turned up the juice. Now I max the power and still wish the unit provided more. > > 3: For me it gets irritating after using it for more than say 45 minutes. > > With that said I recommend one for temporary relief of pain. My experience had only been using it on my lower back. I’m not sure how effective it would be in shoulders, knees and such. Exactly my experience…but they do help, are relatively inexpensive and can’t really harm you. Even more awesome for my failed neck surgery syndrome would be a two hour daily medical massage. Not happening without winning powerball ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/9 "2015-03-22T19:56:21Z")
You shouldn’t use a TENS unit if you have a pacemaker though. ---
**Author:** ![Cheerful\_Pessimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Cheerful\_Pessimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheerful_Pessimist)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/10 "2015-03-22T21:13:57Z")
I’ve had 4 lumbar surgeries (#4 was a fusion). I used a TENS for about a year. It helped some initially, but I, too, seemed to become immune to the stimulation over time. I’d say it’s worth trying. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/11 "2015-03-23T01:13:52Z")
TENS units used to be by prescription only, and have been available as OTC devices only just recently. I have no idea if the OTC ones are as strong or have the same waveforms/patterns as the Rx ones. The good news is that barring any reason not to use one, they’re essentialy harmless. Trying to “overdose” with it is self-limiting as cranking up the strength too far will be painful, or will cause even worse spasms. For me, TENS on the neck didn’t work too well. It was pretty much either “nothing” or “jam my shoulder into my ear and twitch madly” but it was useful for lower back spasms. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/12 "2015-03-23T18:05:55Z")
> [@lk122232](#): > > Anyone know anything about the “TENS” units. They Are supposed to be good for pain. Do they actually work? I am married to a Physical Therapist who uses a TENS unit often in her office and will occasionally bring one home for our use. They relieve certain types of pain for most people when placed and used appropriately. That is about the only answer you can get without seeing a medical professional. ETA: They are also kind of fun to use inappropriately. [sub]No, not like that you perv![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/13 "2015-03-24T23:07:41Z")
I was prescribed one after an injury where I had severe lumbar pains. Using the Tens would allow me to go about my day and sit at a desk, work, walk and other things that I was unable to do at the time. I still break it out if I get really bad spasms. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medical-tens-units/715626/14 "2015-03-24T23:38:17Z")
We have an OTC one that we bought for $20 through a Groupon deal. The same unit is sold on Amazon for $39, I believe. At any rate, we use it very sporadically for muscle pain, and it helps probably 8 times out of 10. That, to me, is well worth the cost.