TENS Machines

TENS - transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation - passes low frequency current through surface electrodes for pain management. It is used in clinics and, in portable form, issued to patients for use at home between appointments.

Portable units are battery operated, single or dual channel, and sized to be carried or worn - our LCS-180B pocket model is this type. Clinic units run from mains, offer more channels and programmes, and are built for continuous departmental use; the LCS-184DX is a four channel example. Portable units are often loaned to patients, so departments buy several.

One channel drives a single pair of electrodes and treats one site. Four channels lets you treat several sites, or a larger area, in one session. For home use a single or dual channel unit is normally sufficient; departments treating varied presentations get more use from four.

Almost always the battery. Portable stimulators lose output gradually as the battery drops and patients tend to compensate by turning the intensity up rather than reporting it, so a flat battery presents as a machine that has become weak. Fit a fresh 9 V battery before assuming a fault, then check the electrodes and leads.