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Electrotherapy Tens & EMS

What is the difference between TENS and EMS?

All Electronic Muscle Stimulators are technically TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators), the main difference being which nerves are stimulated by the device. EMS machines stimulate the muscle motor nerves, while TENS devices are designed to stimulate sensory nerve endings. They all work by generating an electrical pulse which stimulates motor nerves through the skin causing the muscles, supplied by those nerves, to contract.
There is debate among physicians and clinicians on the effectiveness of these devices. Pain is highly individual and you may feel that it's worth trying TENS or EMS. In addition, while it may not bring guaranteed pain relief on its own, TENS may be effective when used in combination with other pain treatments.

Doctor's Prescription Requirements:
Caution: T.E.N.S. and E.M.S. units require physicians Rx. Please fax Rx to 702-666-9018 or scan it and email to: Rx@phc-online.com.
And a Warning to shoppers:
Be cautious of stores selling TENS and EMS units without the physician's prescription requirement. These stores and products fall under one or both of the following categories:
  1. TENS or EMS is under-powered, offering no real benefit to user
  2. The store is breaking Federal Laws by selling without proper prescription and is likely to be closed down

What does chronic pain cost you?
One in six Americans lives with chronic pain. The economic price is high: An estimated $120 billion a year in medical costs and lost productivity. But the personal price is greater -- a granddad who can't play with his grandchild, a mother bedridden with a bad back. Is pain the disease of the future? While many of us think of pain as a symptom of something else and not a condition in itself, all those aches add up to a serious public health problem. Regardless of its origin, pain is the No. 1 cause of disability in America and it costs us a great deal.


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