TENS 7000 Digital TENS Unit with Accessories - TENS Unit Muscle Stimulator for Back Pain Relief, General Pain Relief, Neck Pain, Sciatica Pain Relief, Nerve Pain Relief

Cheaper than most but a great, powerful device.

Suffering from a herniated disc and scoliosis this unit has brought much pain relief. Just as powerful as the ones in the doctors office. Nice case and light weight.

Size of unit and functionality of unit

Bottom line: I have been using this unit as part of a doctor-supervised program of physical therapy to reduce lower back pain through exercises, electrical stimulation and cold packs. While over a period of weeks my back pain has in fact been reduced to manageable levels, it is not possible to know if this is because of the exercises, the electrical stimulation or the cold packs, or some combination those treatments. Twelve years ago I had a fall that caused severe pain in my lower back that radiated down into my right leg. The neurologist I consulted diagnosed this as a bulging spinal disk in my lower back (L5/S1) pressing on one or more nerves, and offered to perform spinal surgery right away. I declined his offer and asked about alternatives, the most appealing of which involved several weeks of physical therapy (PT). Over the years, with and without PT, my severe back pain would come and go, usually managed by lying down for hours or a couple of days, and by popping OTC painkillers. Fast forward to late 2015, when the lower back pain began to interfere with my golf. My primary care provider recommended PT and, after consulting with an orthopedist, I began four weeks of PT, which has evolved considerably since 2004, with exercises that are now more varied and are much more closely tailored to my specific spinal issues than in the old days. In addition, a new (to me) technique of electrical stimulation has become common: TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation). Having a doctorate in research psychology I tend to be skeptical of medical treatments that have not been documented by scientific research. Indeed, most of the literature on TENS acknowledges that its effects are highly subjective, hard to measure, and may vary substantially from person to person. Further, while for some people TENS may alleviate pain for short periods, TENS is widely acknowledged not to cure the underlying problem that is causing the pain. I have not found a controlled scientific study that clearly proves a causative connection between TENS use and reduction in pain. Further, only some individuals find TENS treatment beneficial, while others report no effect. Finally, some insurance companies will not cover purchase of TENS units or administration of TENS treatments because TENS has not been scientifically proven to stop pain, and especially lower back pain. In such a situation it is hard to say with any certainty that TENS actually works, or even to define with any precision for whom and under what conditions it may work. However, for me and many other people any non-pharmaceutical form of pain management and relief is highly desirable and greatly appreciated, so when my physical therapist recommended it I decided to give it a try as an accompaniment to my regular PT exercises. After several weeks of TENS treatments I find that my back pain is reduced, though some--perhaps most--of that reduction may be due to the exercises as opposed to the TENS. My series of Medicare-paid PT sessions has ended and, while I am able to do almost all of the exercises at home, I was interested to learn that I could get a small, personal version of the large TENS unit my physical therapist uses. Several of the staff in my PT center told me inexpensive units were readily available and that I should consider getting one for my personal use; my PT center does not sell these units, so the staff have no financial or other incentive to recommend purchasing one. After reading the on-line literature about and reviews of TENs units I found that they were available at prices ranging from $25 to several hundred dollars and decided to purchase an inexpensive one so I wouldnt lose much if it broke or failed to work. This TENS unit comes with a handy carrying case that includes the unit, electrodes, connecting wires, battery and instructions. I was actually impressed with the instructions, which were pretty detailed and clear and were written in much better English than is typical for most electronic goods made in China. Some of the controls are digital, which means they can be controlled with relative precision. However, setting the level of electrical stimulation is accomplished via tiny analog knobs, which are not very precise and are a bit difficult to manipulate. The settings on this unit range from 0 to 8; I found that 3 or 4 was the right level for me, and due to other reviewers comments I have not tried putting the level up to, say, higher than 5. There appear to be substantial individual variations in what is perceived as stimulation as opposed to pain, which is a good reason to have a professional show you how to use the unit and help you establish your own appropriate level of stimulation. The units adjustments include several types of stimulation (continuous, pulsing, variable). There is a useful timer and a handy belt clip that allows one to use the unit while walking around the house. One of the staff at my PT center noted that this little $27 unit even has a couple of features that the centers $400 hand-held unit lacks. Of course, the PT centers even larger and much more expensive non-portable TENS machine has more bells and whistles overall than this little unit does. The electrodes that come with the unit are about 1 square, which is suitable for smaller areas of the body like leg or arm or shoulder; upon the advice of my PT staff I purchased electrodes that are about 2 x 4, which are more suitable for larger areas like the back, and are the size of the ones used by the PT staff on my back. Alert: I am not an MD so I cannot offer medical advice. However, I can observe that these units can deliver a pretty hefty jolt of electricity if used improperly, so make sure you learn to use the unit correctly under the supervision of a physician and/or qualified physical therapist. Before using my new unit I took it to one of my PT sessions and had the staff show me how to use it properly. All of these TENS units have lots of warnings in their accompanying product literature, so be sure to follow ALL of these warnings carefully, along with the instructions of your doctor or physical therapist. These personal units are not toys, and should absolutely not be handled or operated by children or physically/mentally compromised adults. After 12 sessions of physical therapy, including exercises and TENS stimulation and ice packs, I am feeling a noticeable reduction in lower back pain and some improvement in flexibility, though it is impossible to say how much improvement is due to TENS vs exercises vs ice packs. Now that my PT sessions have come to an end I plan to continue to do the exercises and to use my little portable TENS unit at home. If, after consulting your doctor and/or a qualified physical therapist you and they think TENS may be helpful to you, I would suggest buying an inexpensive unit like this one to try it out, or trying a TENS treatment from a physical therapist or doctor. I paid for this unit with my own money and I have no personal or business relationship with the vendor, manufacturer or Amazon.

I have used a TENS unit during physical therapy and didn’t know what I would need at home. I liked the simplicity of this one and it is a lot like the one the therapist used on me. I love the sturdy case it comes in and protected control knobs. My only complaint was that you only receive 4 electrodes pads so you will need to buy more.

Tens units are amazing for pain management and physical rehabilitation. Once you figure out the best settings for your particular situation, they are quite effective aid in treatment plans. However, one big drawback using these are the pads can loose adhesion very quickly - for me after about 5 applications... maybe because I have naturally oily skin and very hairy legs. I wish these had the replaceable pads, but they dont. Next time, I think I will opt for ones that have this option - as using a wrap or tape to keep them in place is very inconvenient.

My husband and I have previously owned several other 7000 model TENS machines of this brand, both of which still work, but are about 12 years old now and are getting a bit worn out, so we decided to purchase a new one. This new edition of model 7000 is essentially the same in the way it looks externally and how it functions as the older version, so if you are replacing a worn-out 7000 model, this upgraded version will not confuse you with unnecessary changes in its interface. What is different is that the manufacturer has added some helpful new options for settings, the most significant to me, and the only one that Ive opted to try out so far, is that if you choose to go to sleep using this TENS unit, it will turn itself off after about an hour, which the previous model did not do. This is an excellent feature because it spares the battery, which saves the user money because 9-volt batteries are not cheap. This device comes with a set of leads and 4 electrodes as a complete starter kit. The electrodes lasted me a total usage time of about 6 to 7 hours before they wore out. That is not in my experience a terrific amount of time for TENS electrodes to last. Ive had other brands of electrodes that fit both this model and my older model of this TENS machine which have lasted a total of about 9 or 10 hours. Note that if you use this machine at all frequently, you will want to immediately order some more electrodes so you wont run out. The 4 electrodes included in this kit is not a lot. The basic principle of how this TENS machine functions, via mild electrical stimulation of muscles, is no different from any other TENS machine. This is good news because this particular brand is quite reasonably priced at the lower end of the scale of cost for TENS machines. All TENS machines are extremely helpful for relieving muscle pain. And for people who suffer from fibromyalgia, in particular, this home therapy is far more effective and a lot safer than taking dangerous prescription drugs with terrible side effects, such as Lyrica. As another example of utilizing this TENS machine rather than relying on dangerous prescription pain drugs, I recently have endured an excruciating bout of shingles, and this TENS unit has been a lifesaver in helping me to bear the terrible pain. It doesnt so much as directly turn off the burning, electric-shock, neuropathic pain that is such a devastating feature of shingles, and which anti-inflammatory OTC medications and prescription opioids are ineffective at controlling. Instead, in my experience, it works to distract the brain from experiencing the neuropathic pain of shingles either entirely, or mutes the pain to a bearable level. As such, it can simultaneously act not only as a form of temporary pain relief, but functions as a crucial tool to help prevent the development of postherpetic neuralgia. Note that TENS should be an adjunct treatment, and not a replacement for the antiviral, prescription drug prescribed for shingles which, to be effective, must be taken within 72 hours of the outbreak of the first set of blisters from the shingles rash. Sadly, statistically, this drug has only a 50-50 chance of mitigating a shingles attack, preventing a future attack, and preventing postherpetic neuralgia. When it comes to preventing the terrible curse of postherpetic neuralgia, its important, therefore, to have as many options as possible on the table. This TENS option is so inexpensive, and so completely safe, that one essentially has nothing to lose by using it as an adjunct to taking the antiviral medication. Doctors who specialize in the treatment of chronic pain have indicated that a main reason for the development of chronic pain, after the original cause of the pain has been healed in the body, is that dysfunctional neural pathways have become established when pain lasts longer than 8 to 12 weeks after the original cause of the pain has been healed. This is the point at which doctors will change the diagnosis of the pain from acute to chronic. Utilizing a TENS unit can help prevent those dysfunctional pathways from becoming entrenched. And if one already has long-established chronic pain, using a TENS unit can be a way to help retrain those dysfunctional pathways. I also believe that, given that using a TENS unit like this one is helpful for the nerve pain of shingles, which is a disease caused by the chicken pox virus which damages nerves, that TENS might also potentially be an excellent, inexpensive and convenient home remedy for the mitigation and potential outright healing of other types of chronic, neuropathic pain as well, if the pain is the type that is post-trauma, rather than pain from ongoing, uncontrolled disease. But even in the case of the latter, a TENS unit can be an excellent adjunct therapy when dangerous prescription drugs are doing an ineffective job at alleviating the devastating suffering caused by neuropathic pain.

This therapy was recommended by my doctor for nerve damaged tingling in my finger...and P.T. did it to just larger machine. This works well for purpose just make sure to read the instructions and I also looked up where to place the electrodes for the best relief for each finger that were numb. Start out on a low speed and increase as you tolerate...but some of the voltages take a few moments to referencing on type of waves your using. I do think for the price they could of given more than 4 electrode patches.

Bought on the advice of my Chiropractor. First use noticed a relief in pain and added with healing lower back. Would highly recommend.

I needed a new tens machine and my PT recommended this one. It works well, but after 5x using it, the battery died! Not sure if it’s the battery that came with it was old, or the machine uses a lot of juice. ??