TENS Therapy at Home in Narayan Peth, Pune

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, is one of the simplest forms of electrotherapy. Pads placed on the skin deliver small pulses that most people feel as tingling. For some, this dulls the pain for a while, which can be enough to get a stiff shoulder moving or to let someone walk across a room. For others it makes little difference.

The TENS therapy page explains the technique in general. Here we deal with who should and should not have it, and how it is used at home in an old-city household.

Safety checks before the first pads go on

• Pacemakers and implanted devices. TENS is not used near a pacemaker or similar implant without specialist clearance, and often not at all.
• Skin condition. The pads go only on healthy, intact skin. Rashes, wounds, infections and fragile skin are all reasons to keep them off.
• Feeling. A person must be able to sense the tingling in order to keep it comfortable. Numbness from diabetes, nerve injury or stroke changes the decision.
• Pregnancy. TENS is generally avoided over the abdomen and lower back during pregnancy, unless a doctor and physiotherapist agree.
• Position of the pads. TENS is not placed over the front of the neck, across the chest, on the head or on the face, and not over areas that are numb or have unexplained pain.
• Seizure disorders. People with epilepsy need advice from their doctor before it is used near the head or neck.

The physiotherapist asks about each of these at the first visit. If the answer to any is unclear, TENS is postponed, and other methods are used.

Where TENS earns a place in a home session

TENS is most useful when pain stops movement. A person with a sore neck, a stiff knee after a long day on the stairs, or a painful back during a flare may be unable to do the exercises that would help. A short period of TENS can make that possible. It is therefore used together with exercise, not instead of it.

The evidence is mixed. Some people with certain pain conditions report relief and some studies support it, while others find no clear benefit beyond the placebo effect. For that reason we treat it as one tool, try it, and keep it only if it helps you. If it does not, we stop and rely on movement and hands-on treatment, which is described under manual therapy at home. For deeper pain, a related current is explained on the IFT therapy page.

How the unit is used at home

The physiotherapist selects pad sites around the painful area, cleans the skin, sets the intensity to a strong but comfortable tingle and stays with you while you notice how it feels. The session can take place in bed, in a chair or on the floor, which suits homes where there is no treatment couch. Afterwards the skin is checked for redness. Some patients are shown how to use a unit on their own, and are advised whether buying one is worth it.

Using TENS sensibly between visits

• Use it only as instructed, and never while sleeping, driving, bathing or in water.
• Do not turn the intensity up to "make it work harder"; a stronger setting is not better.
• Use it before exercise, when the pain would otherwise stop you moving, rather than as a way to avoid moving.
• Stop and tell your physiotherapist if the skin becomes red, itchy or sore under the pads.

When pain should not be masked

New, severe or unexplained pain, particularly with fever, weight loss, chest symptoms, or loss of bladder or bowel control, needs a doctor and not an electrical unit. Masking such pain delays the diagnosis.

If you would like a physiotherapist to assess whether TENS suits you, book a home visit. See home physiotherapy in Narayan Peth for how visits work here.