MORE SPECIFICALLY…..
TENS is an acronym for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. 7000 is the model number. Roscoe Medical, Inc. is the manufacturer. Amazon is the distributor.
The TENS unit is a non-invasive, drug-free method of controlling pain.
Pain is beneficial to us. It is our body’s way of alerting us to a problem area, without which we might incur greater injury to a vital body part. But, after we receive a signal of pain, the persistence of the pain has no further purpose. That signal travels from the injured area through the spinal cord and ultimately to the brain.
The TENS unit sends small electrical impulses through the skin to our nerves. The objective is to control pain so that we may return to normal activity
TENS makes no claim to cure any physical problem, only to reduce or eliminate the pain that we feel.
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
I have been dealing with a rotator cuff issue for about 6 months. Cortisone injections helped somewhat, but only temporarily. My goal is to avoid surgery and to substantially reduce the pain.
Very recently, I decided to sign up for physical therapy, maybe 6-8 visits, depending on my progress. At the end of my first session, I was given a 30-minute TENS treatment, using a much larger unit than the TENS 7000. This turned out to be a very pleasant self – massage. I kept turning up the power to experiment, but stopped when my right shoulder began slightly “twitching”. At the end, I was quite gratified by the “looseness” of my shoulder and the lack of pain.
Before I committed to the physical therapy, I had established a few specific goals:
- To learn as much as I could on – site and to experience all the relevant treatments
- To get a recommendation for an OTC instrument of pain relief
- To be able to execute the pertinent stretches, etc. at home
The therapists are professional and very knowledgeable. (Cone Health Outpatient Rehabilitation, Kernersville NC). My Sports Medicine doctor in the same building, Thomas Thekkekandam, M.D., is also outstanding.
I have thus far had only two sessions, but I feel progress. I do 18 specific stretches every day at home, including the days of my treatment, on which days I at least double that.
Their recommendation for the TENS device perfectly met one of my above goals.
THE TENS 7000
My unit came with the following essential parts:
- 4 electrodes
- 2 lead wires, each of which has 2 connecting points
- A 9 volt battery
- The main unit (about the size of a cell phone)
- A belt clip (which I will remove later)
I was pleased with everything, with one exception. The battery with the package was dead. No great problem since I had other 9 volt batteries, but mildly irritating, since it took me a while to realize that this was why the unit was not working initially.
The operation of the TENS is quite simple:
- The lead wires are connected to the electrodes, either 2 electrodes or 4, depending on the need
- The lead wires are then connected to the main unit at the top (to the “channel” or “channels”)
- The electrodes are then removed from their protective backing and placed on your skin
- The unit is turned on by turning the control (or controls) clockwise
- At that point, you can select the mode (type and speed of impulses), the pulse rate and the timer
CONCLUDING
I was surprised and very pleased that my TENS 7000 worked just as well as the larger “floor model” at the physical therapy clinic. The electrical impulses are delightful. I use the electrodes on my right shoulder area and also at my inner left elbow, where I have the remnants of medial epicondylitis (or golfer’s elbow).
My practice has been to only give reviews on products that I have bought and used, such as this TENS 7000 unit. I may later modify this to include reviews on things that I have seen others use, things that I have borrowed or rented and the like. But that is for later on.
The TENS 7000 has been a very pleasant purchase for me (except for the bad battery). It is quite nice to have a means of self – massage that eliminates pain and increases the release of endorphins. I am a “happy camper!”.
Lastly and best of all, I was amazed at the price of the TENS 7000. I believe that you will be as well. Check it out. This is through Amazon. As an Amazon associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.
Please leave any questions or comments in the “Comments” box below. Or email me, richard@myworkoutathome.com.
Be well and free of pain!
