TENS vs. EMS: Which Is Better for You?

Electrotherapy can help you get rid of pain or help your muscles recover without having to use painkillers or any other drugs. It is an all-natural method designed to relieve pain or speed up muscle rehabilitation and stimulate their growth.

What are the best electrotherapy devices?

TENS and EMS! They are both electric muscle stimulators, but they also differ in many aspects.

So, TENS vs. EMS? Which one is better for you?

Read on to find out all about their similarities and differences, advantages and disadvantages and how and when they should be used – you will then be able to decide for yourself and choose the electrotherapy device that suits your personal needs best.

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TENS Defined

What does TENS stand for?

TENS is an acronym that stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. TENS devices send a series of electrical pulses through your skin and along your nerve strands thus distracting your brain from receiving pain signals. As a result, the pain you are experiencing is relieved.

TENS was designed on the basis of the Gate Control Theory of Pain. This theory states that non-painful stimulus is able to close the “gate” to your central nervous system and thus prevent it from taking notice of the pain you are experiencing.

Moreover, TENS devices stimulate the release of endorphin, or a so-called hormone of happiness, which functions almost like a sedative and contributes to reducing the pain as well. Endorphin works virtually the same as the TENS electrical nerve stimulation – it inhibits the transmission of pain signals to your brain.

What is TENS used for?arthritis, multiple sclerosis, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, and back or foot pain. The benefits of TENS are numerous as it can be applied for the treatment of both acute and chronic pain.

How does TENS work?

TENS devices can work in two ways – on a low and high frequency. Depending on the level of pain you are experiencing you can choose one or the other.

1

Low-frequency therapy

If you set your TENS device on a low frequency, you will be able to treat low-intensity pain such as chronic neck and back pain or period pain. Low-frequency TENS therapy encourages the production of the endorphin hormone and delicately stimulates the sensory nerve endings blocking the pain signal from getting to your brain. You experience pleasant tingling sensation instead of pain.

2

High-frequency therapy

If you feel a high-intensity pain, you can set the TENS device on a high frequency to stimulate your sensory nerve endings more intensely. These nerve endings have control over how something feels to you – pleasant or painful – and when they are stimulated, the pain signals that would otherwise be sent to the brain are blocked, and the feeling of pain is significantly reduced. High-frequency therapy is mostly used for sports injuries and labor pain treatment.

EMS Defined

What does EMS stand for?

EMS stands for electrical muscle stimulation but is also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), e-stim or simply stim.

It works by transmitting electrical pulses to your muscle motor nerves. These stimulated nerves switch on muscle contraction and relaxation and once that cycle is started your muscles move as they would when you exercise. Such passive exercise has all the benefits of its active counterpart – it speeds up the blood flow, loosens the muscle fibers, and consequently stimulates the growth of that muscle.

What is EMS used for?

EMS devices can somewhat reduce your pain, but they are primarily designed to prevent or reduce muscle atrophy – a state that leads to the weakening and loss of muscle tone. For that reason, EMS devices are mostly used to treat muscle injuries in hospitals and sports clinics.

Besides the treatment of muscular injuries and prevention of atrophy, EMS is applied to re-educate paralyzed muscles, treat paralysis, and relax muscle spasms. EMS allows for your muscles to grow while you rest but also improves muscle tone and blood circulation.

In short, EMS devices have found their use in rehabilitation, disuse muscle atrophy prevention, muscle strengthening, and cosmetic muscle toning.

How does EMS work?

As we have already mentioned, the EMS device sends signals to your muscles and induces passive exercising. The muscle contracts and relaxes similarly to what would happen during actual exercising. In this way, the blood circulation in that area improves, muscle receives more nutrients and grows.

EMS can also reduce the production of lactic acid and thus decrease inflammation in the affected area. These electrical stimuli distract the Central Nervous System from pain much like TENS but also stimulate the muscles promoting endurance and increasing the strength of that muscles which has long term effects on your well being, muscle strength, and condition.

The Differences and Similarities Between TENS and EMS

Now that we have defined both EMS and TENS devices in full detail let us identify what is similar between the two and what are the differences that make these units unique.

What makes TENS and EMS similar?

1. Both EMS and TENS deliver low voltage electrical impulses as a stimulant which is sent through electrode pads placed on your skin.

These electrode pads are placed on the areas that need healing or where the pain is located, and when the device generates electrical current they conduct electricity.

The gentle electrical pulses travel to the nerves and mask the pain signal sent to your brain.

2. Both devices offer noninvasive, completely safe and non-addictive therapy.

Both EMS and TENS therapies can be used in an array of conditions to help you recover and reduce pain without fearing developing addiction or suffering any other dire consequences. Both devices are affordable, accessible and do not require any additional equipment to operate.

What are the differences between the TENS and EMS?

1. The nerves that they stimulate in your body during the treatment

• TENS Machines stimulate sensory nerve endings
• EMS Machines are designed to stimulate muscle motor nerves

As a result, TENS are a better option when you aim to reduce acute or chronic pain naturally, as sensory nerve endings have the primary function to alert your brain of pain.

EMS primarily stimulates muscle motor nerves and is therefore designed for those who wish to induce muscle growth or recovery (which brings us to the second difference between these two forms of electrical therapy).

2. The effect they have on your body

• TENS primarily relieves pain
• EMS also stimulates muscle growth and speeds up muscle recovery

We have already stated that both EMS and TENS are considered to be effective pain relief methods, but EMS offers more than that as it also contracts your muscles and helps them grow and recover.

TENS vs. EMS: Which is better for you?

Although both TENS and EMS are forms of electrical therapy, they are not entirely the same and have different purposes. You should therefore consider your reasons for such treatment before you commit to buying either of these two devices.

You have to be sure that the device you choose will help you with the problem you have. If you suffer from chronic pain in your neck or back, TENS should be the device of your choice. TENS offers immediate results, but unfortunately, short-term ones as well.

However, people who want to build muscles or reinstate the function of some part of their body should opt for EMS. Athletes who seek extra muscle stimulation should also prioritize EMS therapy. EMS will provide long term solution by increasing your strength and endurance.

Cannot make up your mind? Try the TENS EMS combination device

If you cannot make up your mind we have great news for you: you can have the best of both worlds with the combination machines that are readily available on the market and offer both TENS and EMS.

Of course, such devices cost more and require you to invest more money initially, but they are surely good long term investment for people who need this kind of therapy all the time.

For example, somebody who suffers from chronic back pain and cannot be active due to that condition can significantly benefit from both EMS and TENS therapy.TENS will relieve such a person’s back pain, while EMS will help strengthen the muscles and help keep that person in good physical condition until he is ready to go back to exercising.

The second minor advantage of having a single device is the portability. It is undoubtedly easier to transport and set up one device then two separate ones.

Conclusion: Buying a TENS or EMS device

Although not all the TENS and EMS units require a prescription and can be bought over-the-counter (OTC), you should still consult a healthcare professional before you purchase any electrotherapy device. Some conditions prevent you from using this kind of therapy and no one will know that better than your doctor.

It is also highly recommended that you choose only those TENS and EMS devices that have been tested and approved by the FDA. It is the only way to be sure that your device is 100% safe to use and the only guarantee that you will not endanger your health rather than help yourself recover.