TENS therapy generates tiny electrical impulses that are transmitted to the body like little electric shocks, via sticky pads known as electrodes placed at specific sites on a user’s body depending on the physical location of their pain. These electrical impulses stimulate specific nerves thereby creating a tingling or buzzing sensation on the skin which helps in reducing the pain.

The TENS machine works on two theories. One is Gate Control Theory where the electrical impulses interfere with the neural mechanism in the spinal cord that acts as a kind of gate and helps block the transmission of pain messages to the brain. Another theory is called The Endorphin Release, which suggests that electrical impulses stimulate the production of higher levels of endorphins – the body’s natural pain killer that blocks pain messages from reaching the brain without any side effects.