5 Reasons To Give Electrical Stimulation- TENS Method A Try For Good Health

The practice of massage therapy is one of the oldest techniques for natural healing. It is normally associated with Ayurveda medicine and Asian culture but is also adopted and enjoyed in Western society as part of a holistic means of treating many forms of illnesses.

That said, with chronic pain and lifestyle diseases at an all-time high more and more persons are ditching common pain relief drugs and going back to natural alternatives.

Massage therapy is one of the methods commonly utilized and the benefits are found to be much more than physical, but also promotes mental health.

Combine this fascination with massages and continuous advances in technology, and we now have electrotherapy.

This has been devised as a possible substitute or alternative for manual massages. So with the recent global health crisis and and widespread lockdowns, electrotherapy devices like Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation-TENS has definitely been on the rise.

Imagine a handheld device like your cellphone that you can take anywhere and that is powerful enough to work out aches and pains in hard to reach places in your body at anytime. This is what we’ll be discussing.

Besides the obvious, there are other surprising factors behind the growing popularity of TENS- here are some interesting benefits that may convince you to try it out for yourself.

1. Reduces the risks from narcotics

Because of how popular and accessible medications are like Tylenol, Aspirin, Advil, and Aleve, some people take for granted the negative side effects that come with using them.

When you learn what some of these things are, you may make the decision to stop using these kinds of medications. But with TENS, you may find these drugs just aren’t necessary.

Based on studies that have been conducted, TENS works by transmitting small electrical impulses to specific parts of the body through electrodes (pads) placed on the skin.

The feeling is like small electric shocks, and it works by interfering with pain signals to the brain resulting in pain relief.

So by finding the right intensity and schedule that works for you, TENS can offer significant pain relief, and effectively lower your exposure to a lot of the harmful effects from frequent use of common analgesia.

2. Improves Respiratory Function

Not many people realize that the diaphragm is a skeletal muscle located in the chest and is a crucial part of the respiratory system.

What’s more, the NCBI indicated that based on preclinical research evidence, electrical stimulation can improve respiratory function. This has potential implications for treatment currently being used in medical facilities during the pandemic that rely on providing breathing support through ventilators.

Even as controversial as it may seems, the data seems promising as successful experiments were reported on patients with conditions like emphysema, asthma, silicosis and bronchitis.

Importantly, further clinical research is needed so it is not recommended to go ahead and use TENS for respiratory issues just yet. But hold on to your device because as medical innovations continue, this may be a a key development to follow closely.

3. Balances Female Hormones

One of the main hormones that can cause hormonal fluctuations especially in women is cortisol.

You may have heard of the flight or fight effect of cortisol that causes increased heart rate and blood pressure in stressful situations, which is why is it’s called the stress hormone.

But you may not have made the association between excess cortisol and increased blood sugar levels and insulin resistance.

This is one of the main causes of female hormone imbalances like PCOS  that can lead to symptoms like hormonal acne.

So managing stress levels and the excess production of cortisol is your best bet. That’s where TENS can prove useful.

TENS increases natural endorphins that relieves pain and can have an important anti-stress effect on the body. This is consistent with the therapeutic benefits of massage therapy in general.

So imagine being able to treat your injuries without drugs, indulge in your own chill session any time of day, and naturally balance your hormones over time. It’s win-win.

4. Helps With Natural Births

You may not have a child just yet or maybe you’re thinking about expanding your family at some point in the future but feeling anxious about labor pain.

Some of you may even be considering developing elaborate birth plans based on an all-natural approach but worried that you may get derailed in the process.

Well, to further demonstrate the versatility of TENS, it has been found to be applicable as a low risk, drug-free labor pain management tool.

In the same way that the electrical nerve stimulation works to help alleviate pain elsewhere in the body, the principle is similar during labor to help cope with contractions.

That said, due to the risks already pointed out that are associated with narcotics like typical pain relief drugs, more so the ones that must be administered by specially trained medical professionals to pregnant women, more are opting for non-invasive, more natural alternatives.

This is yet another reason why TENS is gaining popularity.

While in labor, this source indicates that many women use TENS as a much needed distraction from intense pain. 

5. Low Cost Investment

Understandably, this is very subjective that depends on different factors such as a person’s income bracket, priorities, and preferences.

But in looking at the range of services and products that promise to deliver the same pain relieving, therapeutic effects, the costs can be compared to determine affordability.

Let’s take physical therapy in the United States as an example; the estimated national average cost is over $100, which can be more or less depending on the service provider, type of service and insurance coverage.

Bear in mind that the costs are per session. So as you can imagine, the total price tag for multiple therapy sessions can get very high.

That said, a TENS device can range from as low as under $20 to over $300 depending on the features, and the brand of the product. These are just a few options:

DEVICE NAME	MAIN FEATURES	PRICE
Vive Digital TENs Unit	• 5 preprogrammed modes of massage • Intensity can be adjusted to one of 16 levels	$19.99
VPOD Wireless Tens Unit	• Combines TENS with other forms of electrotherapy • 24 Massage Therapy Presets & 20 Intensity Levels	$90.30
PowerDot 2.0 – Smart Electric Muscle Stimulator – Smart TENS Device	• 400+ Customized Programs – Electric Muscle Stimulation Programs • Customized to recent activity, fatigue level, and area of focus	$349.00

The prices vary significantly, so you can make a selection based on the features that are right for you.

But also, it is a one-time investment. So even if you were to pick the most expensive of the lot, compared to physical therapy, over time it is more economical.

Bear in mind that it may not be appropriate to substitute physical therapy for TENS in all cases. But generally speaking, it checks off some important boxes like accessibility, convenience, affordability, and effectiveness.

Takeaway

When it comes to any new gadget that promises to deliver so many health benefits, it’s best to be open-minded.

Having experienced TENS for myself, it is definitely comparable to some good professional massages, with the biggest differences being that you have greater control over the duration, intensity, and the frequency of your treatments.

The sensation can take some getting used to. But aside from muscle related pain, if you are otherwise healthy, TENS is a good on the go, or at home therapy option.

It’s worth a try.