TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and is a form of electrotherapy used to modulate pain. Low-frequency, low-dose electrical impulses are transmitted to the tissue via skin electrodes.
Its theoretical background includes the gate-control model and the activation of the body's own pain-inhibiting mechanisms. Typical fields of application are chronic back pain, nerve pain, phantom pain and complaints after operations. It is used after instruction by a physiotherapist or physician, often also at home with a portable device.