A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS, device transmits electrical impulses through electrodes placed on the skin. This serves a treatment for pain relief, usually to relieve pain for the short-term, as long-term pain relief effects remain unproven. Researchers have performed several studies to see if the incorporation of a TENS treatment along with exercise provides greater benefit for people with unilateral knee pain from osteoarthritis.
Function
Doctor's offices and physical therapy clinics use TENS units to alleviate pain, with certain units also approved for at-home use. Practitioners may use the units rather frequently to reduce discomfort. According to the American Cancer Society, some practitioners believe the TENS stimulates production of the body's natural pain killers, endorphins. In conjunction with exercise, TENS helps increase knee function. However, on its own, TENS does not improve knee mobility and function significantly.
Benefits
An exercise program targeting knee mobility and flexibility helps improve strength and function over time in people with osteoarthritis. The addition of the TENS unit helps to alleviate the patient's pain, allowing them to perform more exercises, resulting in even more knee mobility and function. In a 2004 study at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, researchers found the patient group treated with both the TENS and exercise showed a greater increase in stride length, walking cadence and gait velocity than the groups treated with only the TENS, only exercise or with a placebo. This group proved the only one to show a significant increase in the range of motion of the knee while walking.
Considerations
The study at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University did not show a drastic difference between the four groups. However, the group treated with the TENS and the exercise program showed the most favorable results. Another 2004 study by Pearl Law et al. showed that treating knee osteoarthritis with only the TENS unit relieved pain, but did not produce significant improvement in the functional performance of the knee.
Warnings
Only perform exercises listed in the program provided by your doctor. Avoid exercises incorporating more strenuous movements, or that require moving large amounts of weight, as they may cause greater injury and discomfort within the knee. Use a TENS unit with caution, as improper use might cause skin burns or irritation. Avoid placing the electrodes over your eyes, heart, brain or the front of the throat. Pregnant women, people with pacemakers, defibrillators, infusion pumps and people with heart problems should avoid using a TENS unit.
References
- Clinical Rehabilitation; Would the Addition of TENS to Exercise Training Produce Better Physical Performance Outcomes in People with Knee Osteoarthritis Than Either Intervention Alone?; Gladys Ly Cheing and Christina Wy Hui-Chan; May 2004
- Journal of Clinical Rheumatology; Does Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Improve the Physical Performance of People With Knee Osteoarthritis?; Pearl P.W. Law et.al.; Dec 2004
- American Cancer Society; Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation; Apr 2011
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