TENS for back pain

I have had back pain for some years and my doctor suggests I should buy a TENS device. Do these machines really work?

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is a non-pharmacological method of treating back pain. The device delivers low voltage electrical currents to the skin. TENS has been used by millions of people to treat a variety of pain disorders. Almost every healthy food store and pharmacy sells these devices. So do these devices actually work?

Review of the literature indicates that that the majority of people who used TENS found no pain relief. In fact, the pain relief by the sugar pill was much greater than the TENS device. The few people who did find relief noticed that the pain relief was very short in duration. After several months, most people found that TENS devices were more suitable as a paper weight.

So what does all this mean for the consumer? TENS mania has led to billion dollar industry which has thrived chiefly because of desperate people spending their hard earned money on bullshit devices. For the consumer with pain, do not spend your hard earned money on crap. Be knowledgeable, read about the devices before you buy them and avoid pain clinics- this is the one place where you are most likely to meet charlatans who will suck you dry.