TENS:
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation is a form of pain relief involving the use of a mild electrical impulses on the injured area. A small machine is used to produce these impulses, it is connected to pads that are placed on the injured area. The impulses are of varied strength, so it is tailored to each patients’ individual pain threshold. These impulses are used to help reduce pain, however this is often only a short-term form of relief, but it can be useful to those suffering with chronic pain.
EMS:
Electrical Muscle Stimulation is another form of electrical stimulation used to stimulate muscle contractions. The muscle contractions are involuntary as the electrical impulses interact with the muscle to produce a contraction without the patient having to contract the muscle themselves. This modality is facilitated with a small machine and pads that are placed on the muscle. This technique is useful to improve muscle function, strengthen weaker muscles, and relieve pain.
It is a useful modality to use after surgery to introduce involuntary muscle contractions, to improve function and blood flow of the muscle and to generate strength.