TENS Therapy at Home in Shankar Sheth Road, Pune

Many people who work along Shankar Sheth Road cannot simply rest a painful back or neck for a week. The shop has to open, the office expects them, and the ride in through traffic does not get any shorter. When pain is making it hard to move, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, usually called TENS, is one of the tools a physiotherapist may use to bring it down enough for exercise and ordinary activity. Our TENS therapy page explains how it works in more detail.

TENS does not treat the cause of pain. It eases pain for a while, so that the things that do treat the cause, mainly exercise and better movement habits, become possible.

When stopping work is not an option

We most often consider TENS for people who:

• have a sharp flare of back or neck pain and must keep working;
• find that pain stops them finishing their exercises;
• have long-standing arthritis pain and want a drug-free option to use alongside their programme;
• want something to use at home in the evening after a long day on their feet.

What TENS can and cannot do

The research on TENS is mixed. Some people get useful short-term relief during and soon after use, others notice little difference, and the overall quality of the evidence is modest. The effect generally fades once the unit is switched off. A physiotherapist therefore treats it as a trial: if it helps you move more, it stays in the plan for now, and if it does not, it is dropped. It does not repair discs, joints or tendons, and it should never stand in for exercise or a medical assessment.

Safety checks before the electrodes go on

Before using TENS, the physiotherapist asks about and checks for:

• a pacemaker, defibrillator or other implanted electrical device, which rules TENS out unless a cardiologist approves it;
• pregnancy, when pads are kept away from the abdomen and lower back unless TENS has been advised for labour;
• epilepsy, heart conditions, or reduced sensation over the area;
• broken, irritated or freshly scarred skin where the pads would sit;
• known or suspected cancer, or a blood clot, in the area to be treated.

Pads are never placed over the front of the neck, the eyes or across the chest. A brief test at a low setting confirms that you feel a normal tingle.

How TENS is used in a home session

If TENS is part of your visit, the physiotherapist places the pads around the painful area and turns the current up until you feel a strong but comfortable tingling. It usually runs while you rest or do gentle exercises, and the skin is checked afterwards. If a unit of your own would help between visits, you will be shown where the pads go, how to set it and how long to use it, and told never to use it while riding, driving, sleeping or in the bath. TENS is often combined with hands-on treatment such as manual therapy; for deeper, more widespread pain, see IFT therapy here.

Pain that should be checked by a doctor

Because TENS can mask pain, it is not started until serious causes have been ruled out. Severe pain after an injury, pain with fever or weight loss, or back pain with bladder or bowel changes needs a doctor first.

To book, use the booking page, or see home physiotherapy on Shankar Sheth Road for how visits work.