TENS 7000 Digital TENS Unit with Accessories - TENS Unit Muscle Stimulator for Back Pain Relief, General Pain Relief, Neck Pain, Sciatica Pain Relief, Nerve Pain Relief

Bottom line: I have been using this unit as part of a doctor-supervised program of physical therapy to reduce lower back pain through exercises, electrical stimulation and cold packs. While over a period of weeks my back pain has in fact been reduced to manageable levels, it is not possible to know if this is because of the exercises, the electrical stimulation or the cold packs, or some combination those treatments. Twelve years ago I had a fall that caused severe pain in my lower back that radiated down into my right leg. The neurologist I consulted diagnosed this as a bulging spinal disk in my lower back (L5/S1) pressing on one or more nerves, and offered to perform spinal surgery right away. I declined his offer and asked about alternatives, the most appealing of which involved several weeks of physical therapy (PT). Over the years, with and without PT, my severe back pain would come and go, usually managed by lying down for hours or a couple of days, and by popping OTC painkillers. Fast forward to late 2015, when the lower back pain began to interfere with my golf. My primary care provider recommended PT and, after consulting with an orthopedist, I began four weeks of PT, which has evolved considerably since 2004, with exercises that are now more varied and are much more closely tailored to my specific spinal issues than in the old days. In addition, a new (to me) technique of electrical stimulation has become common: TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation). Having a doctorate in research psychology I tend to be skeptical of medical treatments that have not been documented by scientific research. Indeed, most of the literature on TENS acknowledges that its effects are highly subjective, hard to measure, and may vary substantially from person to person. Further, while for some people TENS may alleviate pain for short periods, TENS is widely acknowledged not to cure the underlying problem that is causing the pain. I have not found a controlled scientific study that clearly proves a causative connection between TENS use and reduction in pain. Further, only some individuals find TENS treatment beneficial, while others report no effect. Finally, some insurance companies will not cover purchase of TENS units or administration of TENS treatments because TENS has not been scientifically proven to stop pain, and especially lower back pain. In such a situation it is hard to say with any certainty that TENS actually works, or even to define with any precision for whom and under what conditions it may work. However, for me and many other people any non-pharmaceutical form of pain management and relief is highly desirable and greatly appreciated, so when my physical therapist recommended it I decided to give it a try as an accompaniment to my regular PT exercises. After several weeks of TENS treatments I find that my back pain is reduced, though some--perhaps most--of that reduction may be due to the exercises as opposed to the TENS. My series of Medicare-paid PT sessions has ended and, while I am able to do almost all of the exercises at home, I was interested to learn that I could get a small, personal version of the large TENS unit my physical therapist uses. Several of the staff in my PT center told me inexpensive units were readily available and that I should consider getting one for my personal use; my PT center does not sell these units, so the staff have no financial or other incentive to recommend purchasing one. After reading the on-line literature about and reviews of TENs units I found that they were available at prices ranging from $25 to several hundred dollars and decided to purchase an inexpensive one so I wouldnt lose much if it broke or failed to work. This TENS unit comes with a handy carrying case that includes the unit, electrodes, connecting wires, battery and instructions. I was actually impressed with the instructions, which were pretty detailed and clear and were written in much better English than is typical for most electronic goods made in China. Some of the controls are digital, which means they can be controlled with relative precision. However, setting the level of electrical stimulation is accomplished via tiny analog knobs, which are not very precise and are a bit difficult to manipulate. The settings on this unit range from 0 to 8; I found that 3 or 4 was the right level for me, and due to other reviewers comments I have not tried putting the level up to, say, higher than 5. There appear to be substantial individual variations in what is perceived as stimulation as opposed to pain, which is a good reason to have a professional show you how to use the unit and help you establish your own appropriate level of stimulation. The units adjustments include several types of stimulation (continuous, pulsing, variable). There is a useful timer and a handy belt clip that allows one to use the unit while walking around the house. One of the staff at my PT center noted that this little $27 unit even has a couple of features that the centers $400 hand-held unit lacks. Of course, the PT centers even larger and much more expensive non-portable TENS machine has more bells and whistles overall than this little unit does. The electrodes that come with the unit are about 1 square, which is suitable for smaller areas of the body like leg or arm or shoulder; upon the advice of my PT staff I purchased electrodes that are about 2 x 4, which are more suitable for larger areas like the back, and are the size of the ones used by the PT staff on my back. Alert: I am not an MD so I cannot offer medical advice. However, I can observe that these units can deliver a pretty hefty jolt of electricity if used improperly, so make sure you learn to use the unit correctly under the supervision of a physician and/or qualified physical therapist. Before using my new unit I took it to one of my PT sessions and had the staff show me how to use it properly. All of these TENS units have lots of warnings in their accompanying product literature, so be sure to follow ALL of these warnings carefully, along with the instructions of your doctor or physical therapist. These personal units are not toys, and should absolutely not be handled or operated by children or physically/mentally compromised adults. After 12 sessions of physical therapy, including exercises and TENS stimulation and ice packs, I am feeling a noticeable reduction in lower back pain and some improvement in flexibility, though it is impossible to say how much improvement is due to TENS vs exercises vs ice packs. Now that my PT sessions have come to an end I plan to continue to do the exercises and to use my little portable TENS unit at home. If, after consulting your doctor and/or a qualified physical therapist you and they think TENS may be helpful to you, I would suggest buying an inexpensive unit like this one to try it out, or trying a TENS treatment from a physical therapist or doctor. I paid for this unit with my own money and I have no personal or business relationship with the vendor, manufacturer or Amazon.

I love this machine. It really helps with muscle soreness especially if you’re hitting the weights hard in the gym

My Tens unit is easy to use and has been very helpful in reducing discomfort. The container is great for keeping all the bits and pieces together. It arrived in a timely manner and was well packaged.

I really like this unit. I had one like this before. It is easy to use, no frills, no hoops to jump through. It will leave the unit in the last mode you used when you turn it off. No need to reset all the width and pulse rate or mode again. The only thing I would change on this unit is to loose the beep when you set it. I do recommend this unit over the other high frill/mode units I have tried.

Great for pain easy to use and to keep track of.

I had a pinched nerve in my back from bench pressing. It was bothering me while sleeping and throughout the day. I got professional massages, used deep tissue massage guns, tried sleeping different ways, icy hot pads, and absolutely nothing worked. I was about to call a doctor to schedule some physical therapy until my friend recommended this product. As soon as I tried it I knew this was exactly what I needed. About three weeks of using this my back is feeling much better. This is a must have for people living an active lifestyle.

Once I got the setting set up very easy to use. It should better instructions to guide you on the various settings though.

I gave 4: stars because the batteries that came with the device only lasted for 3 uses before they died. I need to buy more batteries and hope they last longer, as its not practical to need to get new batteries every week. The device itself worked great and helped with my upper back pain. It felt comparable to the E-stim machine used by my chiropractor.

OMG this is the best tens unit that I have ever purchased! The only thing is it uses a 9 V battery. However it does last a good time. This was recommended by doctors and I see why. It has really helped with my pain and I can continue with my day. It can even clip to your belt. It may not look good, but I do tell you for certain that you will never be disappointed! I highly recommend this product!

I had the earlier model, TENS 3000, which was excellent, so I didnt hesitate to buy this. I just want a basic TENS unit, not 1,500 different modalities and acrobatics for the machine to do -- just good old, basic TENS. This unit is super simple to operate....easy to understand, easy to use, easy to control, easy to pack back up when done. I use it while reading, watching TV etc. Its easy-on, easy-off. Depending on how experienced you are in determining exactly where you electrode pads need to be, the machine does the rest and the controls are simple. I looked at a lot of others before buying this, thinking maybe I needed nouveau features. I dont. I use a TENS for basic pain relief and thats what this delivers. It may not be super razzle-dazzle -- but I like simplicity and I like to get what I WANT in a product. And I did.