AUVON 24 Modes Rechargeable TENS Unit, 4th Gen Muscle Stimulator with 10pcs TENS Machine Electrodes for Pain Relief Therapy & Management

I am a retired physical therapist. Those who have been to physical therapy for a back problem and went to one of those chain clinics or hospital-affiliated clinics, you may have received the assembly line hot packs+ultrasound+e-stim+massage as daily treatments applied by PT techs for every treatment session. These are feel-goods that patients often enjoy...but the dirty little secret is they do not fix your problem, they only treat the symptoms. They will, however, add many expensive charges to your bill that your insurance won't cover, or will only cover partially. The clinics love that. The more they bill you the more money they make. My treatment philosophy was different. I treated patients and taught them how to treat their own back and neck problems, so in most cases they would not need to come back to someone like me. If someone required perpetual treatment, then I questioned how effective my treatments really were. I did not make regular use of most of these pain modalities in my practice because they only treat symptoms. Only exercise and manual therapy will fix the problem. Exercise also has a strong pain-relieving effect. Transcutaneous Electrical Neuromuscular Stimulation (TENS) works by creating a sensory impulse stronger than the one producing the pain. The sensory nerves will respond to the stronger stimulus, and won't perceive the smaller one. This is the gate-control theory of pain at work--it temporarily blocks the painful stimulus. (I've worked with quack chiropractors as well as one other therapist who claimed another form of electrical stimulation called interferential current could stimulate nerve healing, but the research just did not back that up.) There is a place for certain modalities in the acute phase to deal with the pain. That's where a TENS unit can be effective. I've prescribed TENS units to patients (both chronic pain sufferers who don't respond to therapy and/or surgery as well as acute injuries). I've used large electrical stimulators in clinic for acute pain relief when a person was in too much pain to perform any exercise. Once the acute phase was over, this kind of treatment was largely unnecessary. I purchased this because I had an acute back injury with significant pain and limited movement. I used it for three days and performed therapeutic exercises until the pain subsided. Worse, I had to go on a 3 hour flight a few days later and sitting was uncomfortable. I was never a fan of the pre-programmed TENS settings and always adjusted my own frequency (Hz) and duration (usecs) settings manually. I ordered a TENS unit with those capabilities from the FSA Store, but it took 2 days to arrive. I ordered this one from Amazon and received it later the same day. Too my great surprise, I found that I liked the 4th pre-programmed setting on this unit (the symbols are 2 fists on the display) better than the manual settings on my other TENS unit set at 100 usecs/100 Hz. This effectively blocked the painful stimulus. There are several other things I like about this one over the other. It is rechargeable, and you can use many cycles before having to recharge it. I used it for hours, for three straight days and still haven't had to recharge it. The other TENS unit takes batteries. My other TENS is about the size of a pack of cigarettes; this one is only a little bigger than my mp3 player. Even though my other TENS came with a hard case for storage, this one came in a compact box. But this one came with quite a few more electrodes, and a plastic base to place the electrodes on after you've used them. (NOTE: don't throw away electrodes after each use. Either put them on the plastic base OR put them back on the same plastic sheet they came on. Just put a small dab of water on your fingertip and spread it on the sticky side to keep it tacky. You can reuse your electrodes for weeks/months.) If you are having acute back pain from a strain or derangement (usually disc bulge), then this can help get you through those first few days until it can be resolved through exercise and manual therapy. For those who have chronic pain from nerve damage or herniated disc with radicular symptoms, I would definitely recommend this as part of your pain management program. It sure beats the heck out of pills which also don't fix the problem but often create serious problems of their own. TENS is not physically be addictive. As TENS units go, I would definitely be recommend this unit. You get a lot of value for your money and it is an effective device for pain control. TENS used to be very cost-prohibitive, in the $750-$1,000 range for a unit. Now they're much more affordable and don't require a prescription. They are FSA-eligible too. I think it's smart to have one of these in your bathroom cabinet or wherever you store that electric heating pad. That way, it's readily available if you need it. You can use it on other parts of the body, like your knee or shoulder. It's great for pain around an incision site after surgery. If you're like me, you probably won't use it again for several months or even years, but at this price point, it's a worthwhile tool to have in stock. That's great that you can buy your own instead of having to fork over hundreds-$1,000 dollars to someone like me.

I got this because I had gotten one of those Icy Hot brand TENS devices a couple of years ago for some intermittent back pain and thought it worked pretty great. I misplaced it long ago, and thought it was time to replace it. So, when this came up as a lightning deal for $26 and change, I knew the time had come. I don't mind taking pain-relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, but at the same time, I'd rather reserve the use of them for things like headaches, and other pains that I can't use the TENS for. The price I paid made it an exceptional value, but even at the regular price it is competitive with its Icy Hot counterpart (and the replacement pads are cheaper than the IH replacement pads, so over the course of using it it will retain that value.) I have tried several of the options and like most of them - and I have yet to crank it all the way up. Some people may prefer the Icy Hot because the pad attaches right to the device, but I prefer the ability to place the pads and manage the unit with the "remote control." (especially because I primarily use this for lower back pain, so trying to adjust settings while it is attached to a pad on my back would be cumbersome.) Also, don't be dumb like me and think you will save on pads by only using one - you need to attach both pads (I presume to "complete the circuit".) When I first got this I thought it was a dud because I attached one pad to my back and turned it on and nothing happened - when I grabbed the other pad (to take the unit off) I felt that little jolt and realized my mistake. Also, I don't use this daily; it varies from a couple times a week to a couple times a month, but all told I'd say I've used it a dozen times and I am still on my first pad - the little "pad keeper" plastic thing you slap them onto when you're not slapping it on your skin really keeps the dust and grime off, and prolongs the life of the pad (you can also get some inexpensive gel that will also prolong the adhesion to make them usable even longer. Haven't had to break it out yet, though.) I know TENS doesn't work for everyone, and the science is unclear and inconclusive about why/how it works for some people. Maybe it really is a placebo effect, but my take is if it's stupid and it works, then it ain't really stupid. I also can't really speak to how it works on long-term, chronic, and/or acute pain, but it suits my needs for those days I sleep just right enough to jack up my back, or if I've been sitting in a weird position and get that crick in my neck. If you are interested in exploring TENS therapy, or on the fence, I think this is a great unit to try out to see if it offers you any relief - especially if you can snag it for under $30 like I did.

I picked this up on a Lightning Deal and am thrilled with the purchase. I experience intermittent pain in my ankle and achilles after long walks, so I thought I would give this a shot. While I've only used this a handful of times, I can say that the device does help me with that pain. The different settings allow for a lot of experimentation, the battery has remained at 3/3 bars over 4-5 uses (20-30 minutes each time), and overall the unit is very easy to use. I feel that the acupuncture mode is the most effective for me and in terms of intensity, I can handle a 7. I have not tried this device on my lower back, but plan to in the near future. Having different sized electrode pads is very helpful and makes precise use easy. The instructions are clear, the size of the control unit is smaller than I expected, and the wires are generously long. The gel on the pads is incredibly sticky and although they seem a bit thin to me, the plastic pads holder comes in very handy for storage after use. Think of what a massage might cost for 30-45 minutes and consider the value you get with a device like this. In my experience so far, I am pleasantly surprised and happy that my ankle feels better. This is a great device to use while watching TV, reading, or waiting for the oven timer to go off.

A decent TENS unit for the price. The rechargeable function is handy however the internal battery doesn't last very long.

Feels just like the one my physiotherapist used on me. Battery seems to last for many uses.

This electric shock pad massage machine works almost too well, in a good way! Since I’m new to massages, I usually stick to the lower settings, but my family loves using it for sore legs, knee pain, and back pain, and they all say it’s super relaxing, even on the highest setting! I’ve even recommended it to a coworker, who now uses it at work under his clothing because it’s so small and portable. Definitely a great product for anyone looking for convenient, effective relief!

I like my little tems , it works well and the different settings are great

Works GREAT!! TONS of settings to choose from! Battery charge lasts for a long time!!

Ive been using this thing for months now and love it. It is powerful and works so well. Any aches and pains are eased. I have not had to charge it yet, so the battery is amazing. Super easy to use, and different settings. Has a changeable timer that will shut it off once time limit reached.