TENS for Pelvic Pain

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Greetings, Bestie! I’m glad you’re back. In the past, we’ve talked a lot about pelvic pain and we’ve talked a lot about transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and now, we’re combining the two! Today’s chat is all about how to use a TENS unit to manage pelvic pain. Though we’ve talked about this before, let’s review:

WHAT IS A TENS UNIT?

A TENS unit or TENS machine is a small, often battery-powered device that can be connected to sticky electrode pads. These pads can be placed on the skin to deliver an electrical current produced by the TENS unit to the body. These devices are typically used in the treatment of nerve-related pain and other nerve-related conditions. They are minimally invasive since they just use electrodes that stick on the skin and they are relatively cheap to buy. The ongoing costs associated with TENS units are battery replacements and electrode pad replacements for when the pads become less sticky. If you are pregnant, have a pacemaker, epilepsy, or altered skin sensation, a TENS unit may not be safe for you to use. Always check with your physician before initiating use of this type of electrical device.

TENS unit

HOW CAN A TENS UNIT HELP Pelvic pain?

There is variable research supporting the use of a TENS unit for pain, but it is still a viable treatment option that works well for a lot of folks (1). TENS units are thought to work for improving pain via something called the Gate Control Theory. Your brain is in charge of determining whether something is painful. Signals from nerves all around the body are sent to the brain. The Gate Control Theory says that there is a sort of “gated mechanism” for allowing pain signals in. If the gate is open, the signal that will be perceived as pain is sent to the brain. If the gate is closed, the signal is blocked, and the signal is not sent to the brain, therefore not allowing it to be perceived as painful. A TENS unit is thought to help reduce pain by closing the gate and not allowing as many of those potentially painful signals to get to the brain.

Let’s say you place your hand on a hot stovetop. The nerves in your hand will sense the heat of the stimulus (the stovetop) and send that information to the brain for processing. The brain takes that information about the hot stovetop and determines that if you keep your hand on the stovetop for a while, it has the potential cause damage to the body. In order to avoid the potential damage, the brain sends a pain signal back to the hand. This all happens so quickly that when you touch your hand to the stovetop and notice pain, you snap your hand away automatically. Usually, you are able to remove your hand before any actual damage has been done. The pain felt in the hand was not a sign of damage to your body, but a warning signal from your brain to move away from something potentially dangerous.

In the case of the hand on the stovetop, pain was a necessary experience. Pain allows you to avoid potentially harmful situations. However, in most cases of chronic pain, the threshold for pain has been lowered. This means, your brain perceives pain from a milder stimulus than it typically would. With chronic pain, we also know that damage to the body is not occurring. The brain is sending out a pain signal, but there is no potential harm present. Period cramps are a good example of this. As we discussed last time, period cramps occur when the uterus contracts to expel its inner lining. This can be painful but we know that the uterus is completing a typical and necessary task, not causing any damage or harm.

HOW DO I USE THE TENS UNIT?

There are two main things you will want to consider in the setup of your TENS unit. First, consider the location and placement of the pads or electrodes. I recommend the electrical pads for the TENS unit be placed over the site of pain, which may be along your lower abdomen, low back, or even over your sits bones. Make sure the electrodes are at least1.5-2 inches apart and that they stick to the skin well. Remove lotion or body oil before applying the electrodes so that they stick better and last for longer.

 Secondly, you will want to consider the settings of the TENS unit. Different settings emit different current frequencies. For the treatment of pelvic pain, there are specific frequencies that have been shown to work best. I recommend using the following settings: Frequency of 100 Hz; Pulse Width of 50-200 microseconds, Amplitude (intensity) to comfort level (2).

Once you have your TENS unit set up with the correct electrode pad placement and correct settings, you can leave it running for fifteen to sixty minutes. Use it whenever you notice your symptoms. The TENS unit has been shown to help pain in conditions such as chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, dyspareunia, vestibulodynia, and painful bladder syndrome (3, 4, 5).

WHIcH TENS UNIT SHOULD I BUY?

It seems like every few weeks, there’s a new device that is meant to help improve pelvic pain. Devices such as the Myoovi Period Pain Relief Device, Livia, and the Ovira Period Cramp Relief Device are all variations on the TENS unit. In my opinion, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using one of these devices. They are a bit more aesthetically pleasing than the classic TENS unit and if that makes you happy, then go for it! But it is important to note that these devices are all significantly more expensive than a basic TENS device. You can get a TENS unit for around $30.00 on Amazon and it will almost certainly work just as well as one of these products that have price tags up to $150.00. If you’re not sure whether you want to spend the big bucks on a “fancy TENS unit,” getting the Amazon version (TENS 7000) and testing it out will give you a good idea on whether the technology will work for you. Something I do like about the Myoovi is that it is rechargeable. The TENS 7000 is battery-operated and you will have to buy new batteries when the ones that come with the device are depleted.

Have you used a TENS unit to manage your pelvic pain before? Are there any devices I missed? Let me know! Chat soon, Bestie.

XOXO,

Your Pelvic Bestie 

Referral Links:

*Get 10% off the Myoovi Period Pain Relief Device with code: SARAH37423

References:

1.     Schneider MP, Tellenbach M, Mordasini L, Thalmann GN, Kessler TM. Refractory chronic pelvic pain syndrome in men: can transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation help? BJU Int. 2013 Jul;112(2):E159-63.

2.     Proctor M, Farquhar C, Stones W, He L, Zhu X, Brown J. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for primary dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2002, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD002123.

3.     Slovak M, Chapple CR, Barker AT. Non-invasive transcutaneous electrical stimulation in the treatment of overactive bladder. Asian J Urol. 2015 Apr;2(2):92-101. 

4.     Mira TA, Giraldo PC, Yela DA, Benetti-Pinto CL. Effectiveness of complementary pain treatment for women with deep endometriosis through Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS): randomized controlled trial. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2015 Nov;194:1-6.

5.     Vallinga MS, Spoelstra SK, Hemel IL, van de Wiel HB, Weijmar Schultz WC. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation as an additional treatment for women suffering from therapy-resistant provoked vestibulodynia: a feasibility study. J Sex Med. 2015 Jan;12(1):228-37.

*The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.