Are Tens Units Any Good For Neuropathy?

Today's post from diabetic2.tophealthychoices.com (see link below) reflects the varying opinions about the benefits of electrical nerve stimulation machines such as Tens, for people with nerve damage. As a result, this article can only be seen as one person's opinion and the best advice would be to consult as many people as possible (including your doctor) and do your own research before  starting using such appliances. That said, if numbers are to be believed, thousands of people across the world do get some benefit from using Tens and others but that can be said from almost all given neuropathy treatments. Do all the research you can but remember, as with all neuropathy treatments, what works for some doesn't work for others - it remains a minefield.

Using Electrical Nerve Stimulation Machine for Diabetic Neuropathy Should Be Considered  

No visible author 18 Jun, 2015

 The most common forms of electro-analgesia is the Tens machine. There has been several clinical reports and ongoing research with regards to the use of Tens machines for certain medical conditions such as arthritic pain, myofacial, lower back pain, bladder incontinence, visceral pain, post operative pain and neurogenic pain. Due to these studies being inconclusive, the question as to whether the Tens are more effective than a placebo in combating pain is still unresolved. The mechanisms currently proposed with regards to the Neuro modulation that Tens produces include pain control, restoration of input afferent, and presynaptic inhibition in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and direct inhibition of an abnormal excited nerve.

Studies revealed that the electrical stimulation reduces pain via nociceptive inhibition in the horn of the spines dorsum horn at a presynaptic level and in turn limits its central transmission and that the electrical nerve stimulation machine on the skin myelinated nerve fibres and the electrical stimuli activates a low threshold. With low frequency Tens a marked increase in met-enkephalin and beta endorphins were noted and also demonstrated antinociceptive reversal effects by naloxone. Through micro opioid receptors the effects were postulated. However, naloxone was not reversed with high frequency Tens analgesia, implicating a dynorphin binding receptor that is naloxone resistant. Increased levels of dynorphin A were revealed in cerebral spinal fluid samples. Pain in interpreted when painful peripheral stimulation occurs as the C fibres carry the information which causes the T cells to open the gate which in turn the cortex and thalamus receive the pain transmission centrally. This theory explains the gate control theory, as the gate is usually closed. A range of both positive and negative outcomes have been noted in a wide range of medical conditions when using the Tens machine. Due to several trials and studies conducted there has been an overall consensus in favour of the use of Tens. Around 70 to 80% of patients experience initial pain relief provided by Tens, and around 20 to 30% success rate decreased after a few months of using Tens. In order to establish the full benefits, the Tens should be applied for at least an hour.

The stimulus preferences differ, and studies revealed that 57% of patients that used the Tens machine daily most definitely benefited as well as displayed different stimuli to particular pulse patterns and frequencies and were found to be adjusting their stimulators in subsequent treatment sessions. Tens has also proved positive for mild levels of pain post operative and post traumatic and proved ineffective for acute pain and tension headaches. However, Tens proved positive for painful diabetic neuropathy and treatment using Tens should be considered for this disorder.

http://diabetic2.tophealthychoices.com/using-electrical-nerve-stimulation-machine-for-diabetic-neuropathy-should-be-considered-31/