There are many types of TENS in electrotherapy, and they all work under the principle of using mild electrical currents to treat body pains. The different types of electrotherapies work similarly, but they differ in purpose. People use electrical stimulations to reduce pain, while some use it to stimulate muscles. Some use a lower frequency, while some work better at a higher frequency. Some types function only for a specific purpose, while some devices can be for multiple different types of treatments.
The different types of TENS in electrotherapy can treat patients with mild to intense acute and chronic pain. Depending on the person’s need for pain relief, electrotherapy is an excellent complementary pain management method, and it can be in combination with more intensive treatments like exercise. Electrotherapy is a safe and non-invasive method of alleviating pain. It is ideal for people seeking to relieve pain without the harsh side effects of oral medications. The iTENS is a wireless type of TENS electrotherapy device that can have multiple benefits. Additionally, it can help treat different kinds of body pains and medical conditions without the burden of messy wires.
The most common types of TENS in electrotherapy:
- Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS): mild electrical currents stimulate the nerves in specific body areas. The TENS unit uses a set of electrode patches that stick on the skin. They use the electrical currents to intercept the pain signals from reaching the brain. An excellent example of an effective TENS device is the wireless iTENS unit.
- Interferential Current Electrical Stimulation (IFC): uses a more substantial electrical frequency than TENS to reach deeper tissues for pain relief.
- Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS): also sometimes called Neuromuscular Electrical Muscle Stimulation or NEMS. EMS uses electrical impulses to target muscles for muscle re-education and strengthening.
- Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (PENS): electrical stimulation through tiny acupuncture-like needles to penetrate the skin. The needle electrodes bring the electrical currents closer to the nerves making them less sensitive to pain.
- Russian stimulation: uses a higher frequency than EMS to improve muscular strength, size, endurance, and recovery.
iTENS is the leading wireless TENS device for pain management. It can also help stimulate and relax recovering muscles. The iTENS has FDA approval to be a medical device for self-use mainly because it is safe. Using different types of TENS in electrotherapy like iTENS is an efficient way of treating your pain without posing adverse risks to your health. iTENS took a step further in revolutionizing pain relief by being the first wireless Bluetooth-capable TENS device. Pain relief has never been this easy. You can manage your pain directly from your mobile phone with ease, comfort, and confidence.
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