Cupping guides

TENS for pain: how a TENS machine works, where to place the electrodes (back, neck, knee, shoulder, period pain), which settings, what research says, when not to use it, and TENS or cupping

TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) is a small battery-powered device that sends weak electrical pulses through electrodes on the skin and dampens pain by disrupting pain signals and releasing the body's own pain-relieving substances. It is used in healthcare for chronic pain, period pain, labour and after surgery, and sold over the counter for home use. Here is how it works, the difference between high- and low-frequency TENS, where to place the electrodes for back, neck, shoulder, knee, hip and period pain, settings and treatment time, what research actually shows (good relief during and shortly after treatment, less evidence for long-term effect), who shouldn't use TENS (pacemaker, pregnancy over the abdomen, epilepsy), common mistakes, and a comparison with cupping: what suits which problem and how they are combined.