12
Pulse Rate:
The Pulse Rate (hertz or pulses per second) chosen depends
greatly upon the type of electrode placement given to the
patient. When using contiguous and dermatome electrode
placements (i.e. stimulating directly through the area of pain
or localized enervation), a quick pulse rate (setting greater
than 80Hz on the Pulse Rate Control) is typically desired. The
patient should not perceive individual pulses but rather have
the sensation of steady continuous stimulation. Despite any
general recommendations, individual patients may require
slight variations in the device settings, according to the nature
of their condition.
Treatment Mode:
Normal or Conventional TENS offers the practitioners
complete control over all the various treatment parameters
of the instrument. Burst Mode is analogous to the Low Rate
TENS technique except the low frequency individual pulses
are replaced by individual “bursts” of 7-10 individual pulses.
It is thus a combination of Conventional TENS and Low
Rate TENS. In Burst Mode, the treatment frequency is fixed
by the instrument and is not adjustable with the Frequency
Rate control. Modulated Mode attempts to prevent nerve
accommodation by continuously cycling the treatment
intensity. When using Modulated Mode, increase the intensity
only when the unit is at the maximum intensity of the
modulation cycle.
Time Duration:
The onset of pain relief should occur shortly after the intensity
setting has been determined. However, in some cases pain
relief may take as long as 30 minutes to achieve. TENS
units are typically operated for long periods of time, with
a minimum of 20- 30 minutes and in some post-operation
Functions and Use
(cont.)
