TENS

TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) is predominantly used to provide relief from pain.  It is frequently used by Chiropractors, Physiotherapists and top athletes around the world.  

TENS units work by delivering small electrical impulses through electrodes that have adhesive pads to attach them to the patient’s skin.  These high-frequency electrical impulses flood the nervous system, reducing its ability to transmit pain signals to the spinal cord and brain.   More specifically, the messages for painful and non-painful stimuli travel on different-sized nerve pathways but end up in the same location in the brain.  The brain is not capable of receiving input from both of these pathways at the same time, therefore the ability to perceive the original pain signal is drastically diminished or blocked completely.

For example, if you are experiencing pain in your knee, place the electrodes over the site of pain with the TENS mode selected and turn it on.  The body will begin to feel the TENS stimulation and no longer perceive the pain signal. 🎉 This phenomenon is called the 'pain gate control mechanism' and is the whole foundation on which the TENS device is based.  Provided that you can get the electrodes to stick on either side of the site of pain, this mechanism works brilliantly.  This means that the sticky electrodes can be placed over muscles and can even be placed on either side of a joint.  To further enhance the pain-relieving effects of the TENS mode, the electrical impulses also stimulate the body to produce natural pain relievers called endorphins. We all love a good endorphin release 😍

The TENS mode is very effective in masking both acute and chronic pain, providing temporary relief of pain associated with sore and aching muscles and joints.

Conditions that commonly respond well to TENS therapy include:

• Acute or chronic pain
• Joint pain 
• Arthritis
• Neck and back pain
• Sports injuries
• Bursitis or tendonitis
• Abdominal pain
• Sciatic pain
• Headaches or migraines
• Neuropathy
• Period pain
• Labour pain
• Pain after surgery
• Suffer from post-operative incision pain

It may also alleviate pain that results from the following conditions:

• Endometriosis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Painful Diabetic Neuropathy
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Pain associated with cancer
• Pain from wound healing

One of the major benefits of TENS therapy is that it is a noninvasive method for relieving pain. People who experience pain relief from TENS may be able to reduce their intake of pain medications, some of which can be addictive or cause adverse side effects.  

The duration of pain relief after using a TENS unit can vary. Some people report that their pain returns as soon as they switch off the device. Others continue to experience an adequate level of pain relief for up to 24 hours.

IF MODE

IF stands for Interferential Current, and it takes electrotherapy to a WHOLE new level ⬆️ quite literally.  IF has the ability to reach deeper tissues than the TENS application, while providing equally amazing results. IF is a medium frequency current which is what gives it the added feature of being able to penetrate deeper into the underlying tissue.  The unique effects of IF are achieved by the interception of the two medium-range currents of varying frequencies that combine and amplify the penetration effect to successfully stimulate large impulse fibres, to further enhance the pain-relieving effects.

Applying higher frequency currents through the electrodes also has the added bonus of causing less discomfort where they pass through the skin, making the treatment even more comfortable.  Skin impedance is inversely proportional to frequency, in layman’s terms this means the higher the frequency the lower the skin resistance, which means less pain.  Therefore the benefits reach deeper into the body, with less pain during treatment! Win-Win.  🎉🎉

WHEN TO CHOOSE 'IF MODE' INSTEAD OF 'TENS MODE'

Research has shown that both IF and TENS therapy are effective for different types of pain.  IF has been shown to be more useful for short-term treatment of acute inflammatory pain, such as a new injury to your back, neck, or peripheral joints in the arms or legs, such as an ankle sprain, for example.  Conversely, TENS may be a better option if you are suffering from ongoing, chronic pain, such as long-standing back and neck pain, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, and ongoing knee or hip pain, just to name a few. 

Keep in mind that the electrical waves of the IF penetrate more deeply into the body, so when you are trying to stimulate healing and relieve pain deep inside the body, IF would definitely be the best choice.  This applies to conditions that are deep under the surface, such as endometriosis, period pain, fracture healing, torn muscles, damaged ligaments, disc injuries, neuropathy etc.  

IF is also highly recommended for people with low pain thresholds who’ve previously found TENS to be uncomfortable.

EMS

EMS stands for Electrical Muscle Stimulation which is an internationally accepted and proven way of treating muscular injuries.  It works by sending low-voltage electronic pulses to the muscle needing treatment, resulting in the muscle contracting on its own (involuntarily).   The EMS setting is suggested for use when muscles have atrophied or weakened as a result of injury or surgery, for the purpose of rebuilding the muscles or alternatively for building muscle strength and improving athletic ability.  The EMS mode has a direct influence on the underlying muscles, which can also assist with alleviating muscular cramps.  By contracting muscles the EMS mode can have a significant effect on the mobility experience within the surrounding joints also.  The other major benefit of using the EMS mode to stimulate muscle contraction is the effect this has on assisting the body to move lymphatic fluid back towards the heart, alleviating oedema in the body.  The EMS mode assists in improving blood flow to the area, bringing with it healing cells, as well as reducing inflammation and oedema.  

You can use the EMS mode for:

• Muscles spasms and cramps
• Improving poor blood circulation
• Removing excess swelling or oedema
• Muscle atrophy (often arise post-surgery or post-injury due to disuse)
• Muscle re-education post surgery or injury 
• Muscle weakness
• Lack of range of motion
• Preventing DVT in your lower legs post-surgery

RUSSIAN MODE

Russ stands for Russian Stimulation, named after a Russian scientist who developed this unique electrical stimulation method for enhancing the athletic performance of the athletes in the Russian Olympic Team.  The high-frequency current used with Russian Stimulation provides a deeper muscle penetration and causes a more complete, strong, and intense contraction of muscle fibres.  This gives the body clear signals to build muscular strength for enhancing athletic performance or building your muscles surrounding an injury to prevent reoccurrence.  Similar to IF taking TENS to an advanced level, RUSS takes EMS to a whole other level.  It is similar in action to the EMS mode, but with a much higher frequency of 2500 Hz, which provides a deeper, stronger, and more comfortable stimulation for muscle training.  

Please note that it is important to give the muscles a day of rest after using the RUSS mode to allow for adequate repair and rebuilding of the muscle tissue, this is what makes a muscle bigger and stronger.  Using the device 2-3 times per week to train a specific muscle is the maximum recommendation due to the intensity of the contractions achieved by the RUSS mode. 

Q. Is this rechargeable?
A. YES! You don't need to keep replacing batteries. Just plug in with the USB cable provided and charge when the batteries run low. Sweet!

Q. Can you achieve the same deep results achieved by the IF mode by increasing the intensity of the TENS mode instead? 

A. No, the depth of penetration is related to the frequency of the current in the electrodes, not the intensity on the device.   The low frequency current of the TENS machine, regardless of intensity can only penetrate a certain level below the skin surface, as opposed to the medium frequency current of the IFC which can penetrate much deeper.  

Q. Can the TENS and EMS settings be safely used by people with metal implants?

A. Yes, many people who have had pins, plates, wires, nails or screws to reconstruct or replace their malformed or degenerated joints find that TENS machines are useful for their pain relief and EMS is useful for the rehabilitation of their muscles surrounding the injured joint.  Metal implants (most commonly) hip and knee replacements are widely considered to constitute a contraindication to some electrotherapy modalities, but the Dr Kez Chirolab® 4-in-1 device (R-C1) is safe to use on the TENS and EMS settings.

The major concern is that the applied energy will result in ‘significant’ heating of the metallic implant, which would have a detrimental effect on the local tissues surrounding that implant, raising the tissue temperature to damaging levels. Whilst that would almost certainly be true for some electrotherapy modalities (most especially the high-frequency heating modalities - shortwave and microwave in particular), it is not true for the Dr Kez Chirolab® 4-in-1 device (R-C1).

Electrical stimulation modalities (TENS, Interferential, EMS etc) are not contraindicated as the amount of energy applied is not sufficient to cause a detrimental heating effect in the tissues surrounding the implant, though the presence of metal in the tissues will almost certainly distort the pathway taken by the applied current and may therefore generate some unexpected effects in terms of sensation experienced by the patient.

When considering electrotherapy to treat conditions with metal implants, it is important to determine if the implant is PASSIVE or ACTIVE. Passive implants do not require an external power source.  Examples include aneurysm clips, stents, hip and knee prostheses, catheters, electrical leads, external fixations and IVC filters.  Passive metal implants are NOT a contraindication to the electrical stimulation modalities, whereas active implants are.  We always recommend that you also consult with your doctor and always fully read the instruction manual and pay particular attention to our Contraindications, Precautions and Warnings.

Electrode placement

Along the length of any muscle you are wishing to treat, or above and below a joint if you are wishing to use it to treat the joint.  Above any area of pain to trigger the pain gate control phenomenon.  The pamphlet that comes with the machine gives extensive pictures of a multitude of areas of the body with electrode placements suggestions for each. 

Cautions

As with all electronic devices like this one, the following precautions need to be abided by:

• Do not use if you have a pacemaker or any metallic or electronic devices within your body
• Do not use over damaged, inflamed, fresh scars or reddened skin
• Do not use over cancerous lesions
• Avoid use on the head, face, neck, groin, genitals