Does TENS work for pain relief?
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation
(TENS) is a very popular chronic pain treatment in society. Almost every family
has a TENS machine. Besides mass marketing by medical companies, many
physicians constantly recommend TENS for their patients. The
business of pain and TENS machines is a billion dollar industry. There are TENS
machine which cost a few hundred and there are others which cost a few thousand
dollars. While in some cases a prescription is required to get a TENS machine,
one can easily buy a TENS from any one of the online
cyberspace pharmacies without a prescription. However, despite its wide usage
the benefits of TENS is still in question.
As of today in Dec 2013, there is no evidence
that TENS does anything for people with chronic pain. There is not a single
randomized blind study which has categorically shown that TENS works to
decrease pain.
So for the time being TENS cannot definitely not
be recommended for pain control. Some health care professionals who recommend
these devices often have shares in these companies or are paid to give out
positive reviews. The next time you get prescription for a TENS machine from a
physician, go get a second opinion. Of course there will always be some
who argue otherwise. Consumers should save their hard earned money for things
that work and not on scam devices.
For those who hate medical jargon- in plain
English- TENS is junk therapy.
