TENS

Question 1

What is TENS?

Answer 1

Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulations is used to modulate pain.
Types of TENS include conventional (high rate), low rate, and brief intense mode.
used to depolarize sensory or motor nerves to decrease pain

Question 2

What is conventional TENS? What is it for?
What is the pulse freq?
Pulse duration?
amplitude?
time?
how long does pain relief last?
how does it relieve pain?

Answer 2

• high frequency
• sensory level stimulation
• freq = 30-150pps (freq)
• duration= 50-100microseconds (low)
• amp = to comfortable sensory perception (tingling)
• time= 20-30 min to 24 hours
• only lasts while unit is on secondary to principle it works on
• gate theory- large diameter afferent A-beta sensory fibers gate or block the noxious afferent input (smaller diameter fibers)

Question 3

What is low rate, low frequency TENS? What is it for?
Pulse freq?
Pulse duration?
Amplitude?
Time?
how long does pain relief last?
how does it relieve pain?

Answer 3

• acupuncture like
• motor level stimulation
• freq= 2-10 pps (low)
• duration= 150-300 microseconds (high)
• a visible muscle contraction
• time 20-30 minutes (be careful of DOMS after 45 min)
• pain relief can last 4-5 hours after the treatment secondary to the release of endogenous opiates like endorphins and enkaphalins

Question 4

What is brief intense stimulation?
pulse freq?
pulse duration?
amplitude?
time?
how does it feel and how does it work?
when is it used?

Answer 4

• combines sensory level TENS (high freq, low pulse duration) with motor TENS (low freq, high pulse duration)
• freq =100pps (high)
• duration= 150 microseconds (high)
• amp = to visible strong muscle twitches or tentany
• time <15 min
• often uncomfortable for the patient
• considered a form of noxious level stimulation- works on the release of the release of endogenous opiates
• sometimes used as a last resort

Question 5

What is interferential current (IFC)/amplitude modulated AC?
what is it used for?
what is the beat frequency?
how comfortable is it?
what do beat frequencies usually range from?
pulse freq?
pulse duration?
amplitude?
duration?

Answer 5

• wavefom produced by the interference f 2 symmetrical medium forequency AC of slightly different frequencies through 2 sets of electrodes.
• pain modulation
• beat freq= difference between the two original AC
• comfortable as it allows for a lower amplitude at the surface while delivering a higher amp to deeper tissues
• delivers more total current and may stimluate a larger area than other waveforms.
• beat frequencies usually range from 1-200 Hz
• freq= fixed beat freq: 100 Hz
• duration = 200-400 microseconds
• amp= sensory level
• duration = 10-30 min