Chronic pain in one form or another affects about a third of all people in the United States. Whether it results from an accident or work-related injury, disease, or other illness, chronic pain can be debilitating to the point of affecting work performance and quality of life in general. When the damage affects muscles, nerves, and the tissues surrounding them, pain relief is available without the use of dangerous and addictive medications.
So What is the Difference Between TENS and EMS Units
Two electrical devices are frequently used to successfully treat chronic pain. The Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator, or [easyazon_link identifier=”B00O7CM12W” locale=”US” tag=”tenssite-20″]TENS unit[/easyazon_link], works to alleviate chronic pain associated with nerve damage and the Electronic Muscle Stimulator, or EMS unit works on pain involving muscles.
Which of these two devices is better? The primary consideration is the type of injury being treated. Other factors come into play as well when choosing the better of these two devices for the specific patient’s needs.
The TENS unit is one of the most popular forms of electro-analgesia, or pain relief via electrical current stimulation. It works by delivering mild electrical impulses through electrodes which are affixed to the skin over the affected nerves. The TENS unit uses a one-two method to treat pain: first by stimulating the nerves with electrical pulses, which works to block the pain signals being sent to the brain (known as the “Gate Theory” or the “Gateway Theory”). When the signal is blocked, the pain is not perceived by the brain. Second, the body detects and identifies the pain and releases it’s own natural pain-relieving compounds, called endorphins, which travel to the affected area(s), and act as an analgesic.
The TENS unit can be adjusted to a wide range of settings to decrease or intensify the electrical impulses being delivered to the affected area. Higher impulses deliver more intense relief and maximum pain control. The strength of the electrical impulses used is determined solely by the comfort level of the patient. It should never be a painful experience.
The EMS unit works in much the same way as the TENS unit, but with focus on the muscles rather than the nerves. Electrodes are placed on the skin in the location of the damaged muscle. Wires from the EMS unit are attached to each electrode. This will deliver the electric current to the underlying muscle, resulting in motor and/or sensory responses. The desired response, as with use of the TENS unit, is interception of the pain message being sent to the brain so as to block the body from experiencing pain, and the subsequent release of endorphins to alleviate any pain or discomfort. Research has indicated a significant increase in the body’s production and delivery of endorphins as well as other naturally-occurring pain killers in the body, called enkephalins following the use of this type of low-frequency electrical impulse stimulation.
The EMS unit also works on muscles which have difficulty contracting properly on their own. This is a common condition following orthopedic surgery or stroke. When an electrical impulse is introduced to the affected muscle via EMS unit stimulation, the muscle is “re-educated” to contract initially without the patient’s help. This results int he brain re-learning how the muscle is supposed to contract independently, and the muscle learning to do so on it’s own once more.
Oftentimes a combination of the two units is used to treat chronic pain, depending on the types of conditions and/or injuries being treated. This is where the difference between TENS and EMS units can play an important roll. For the patient who may have suffered a stroke, it may be beneficial to make use of the TENS unit to deal with pain related to nerve injury or damage during the episode as well as the EMS unit in order to re-train muscles which may not be operating properly. In these situations both types of treatments will be of great help in the patient’s recovery process.
These units are both popular for use in treating sports-related conditions or injuries, such as pulled muscles or pinched nerves. Both EMS and TENS units can be used either in a medical or chiropractic office setting, or they can be used it he comfort of the patient’s home. It has been discovered that some people are using EMS units as a means of building up their muscles without exercise, as the muscle naturally responds to being electronically manipulated in the same way it would respond to a workout session of weight lifting and other exercise. This is not the recommended way to build muscle or to use the EMS unit. The unit is intended to exercise and strengthen the muscles of patients who have suffered some form of injury which makes it impossible or difficult for them to use the muscle in the usual way, and are therefore unable to participate in intense workout routines. Those who are able to safely exercise should use that method for increasing muscle mass and strength. EMS may also be used to speed recovery post workout so that users may repeat the exercise for the treated muscles sooner.
Both the TENS unit and the EMS unit are invaluable in alleviating and treating chronic pain and injury. The choice between the two is simply a matter of individual need. As stated, some patients can benefit from the use of both devices to treat both nerve and muscle damage and pain. The biggest benefit of using these units is the elimination of the need for synthetic, dangerous, and addictive pain medications and the risk of addiction to them. This is an epidemic in our society today. By utilizing the electrical impulses of these units and allowing the body to use it’s own natural painkillers, the possibility of addiction or other complications is eliminated. Treatment is all-natural and recovery times when using the TENS and the EMS units tends to be more rapid. The patient is not restricted to a bed or overly limited on activities. These methods of dealing with chronic pain have proven to be safe, effective, cost-effective, and easy. More and more doctors are turning away from prescribing dangerous pain medications in favor of treatments such as these. One or the other, or both, of these devices are able to alleviate chronic pain safely and effectively.
[easyazon_infoblock align=”none” identifier=”B00XNFDRVS” locale=”US” tag=”tenssite-20″]
[easyazon_infoblock align=”none” identifier=”B01N4MACP5″ locale=”US” tag=”tenssite-20″]