I can say with all confidence that a TENS unit can work wonders.  I have a
back problem where inflamation causes pain and swelling thus resucing blood
flow.  Reduced blood flow causes more inflamation , etc. etc.

I visited the kabutz in Israel where they were manufactured and when I got
back I set about to build one. I wore it for a week solid and have never had
one of those mornings that I can't get out of the bed since.

I still get it out and use it for a few days every year or two when things
start hurting.

The benefit is a combination of muscle exercise, blood-flow stimulation from
the massage like action, and I find that the pain is suppressed by the unit.

The horse racing industry has known about the benefits of TENS units for
many years.

The TENS unit was the number one most prescribed orthopedic device in the US
for several years.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: pic microcontroller discussion list
> [mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of Russell McMahon
> Sent: Saturday, June 08, 2002 3:03 AM
> To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
> Subject: Re [EE] TENS units was Re Rife, was [EE]: IEE position
> statement"The Possible....."
>
>
> > EPE has also publish Quack items like Hulla Clarkes 'Zapper' and TENS
> units.
>
> I am of the opinion that TENS appears to work for many people
> (not all) and
> that there are reasonable mechanisms postulated for it to do so.
>
> You have to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.
> I agree wholeheartedly about people like RIFE - some may be sincere but
> still incorrect.
>
> TENS (transcutanaceous electrical neural stimulation?) basically
> delivers a
> lowish level electric shock with varying voltage, mark space ratio and
> frequency to body locations to attempt to block pain.
>
> As I simplistically understand it the application of a by no
> means low level
> masking signal causes nerve pain information to be hidden from the brain.
> This can be dressed up in much finer language. It is my long personal
> experience that various sensation signals can indeed be masked by other
> different sensation input. It is POSSIBLE that TENS is entirely Placebo in
> affect but I don't believe this is probably the case.
>
> FYI - for one magazine (possibly EPE) their TENS project was the most
> popular one they have ever done. Lots of desperate hurting people I guess.
>
>
>
>         Russell McMahon
>
> --
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>

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