Cur: Pain relief anywhere

Pain relief is tricky. TENS machines have conflicting data.

For long term lower back pain: http://www.cochrane.org/CD003008/BACK_transcutaneous-electri...

> Four high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs; 585 patients) comparing TENS with placebo for chronic low-back pain were included in this study. Due to conflicting evidence, it is unclear if TENS is beneficial in reducing back pain intensity. However, there was consistent evidence in two trials (410 patients) that TENS did not improve the level of disability due to back pain. There was moderate evidence that use of medical services and work status (e.g. loss of work, sick days) did not change during treatment. Finally, there did not seem to be a difference between conventional and acupuncture-like TENS.

For long term lower back pain people are probably better of (after ruling out the rare but scary causes; and with medical supervision) if they lose weight and get exercise, especially physiotherapist guided exercise to strengthen back muscles; and combining this with better ergonomics at work.

For cancer pain: http://www.cochrane.org/CD006276/SYMPT_transcutaneous-electr...

More research is needed.

Pain in labour: http://www.cochrane.org/CD007214/PREG_tens-transcutaneous-ne...

Not sure if it makes any difference, but women should be offered the choice.

So, this device probably isn't harmful; is possibly helpful; seems nicely designed; and is priced about the same as other nice tens units, a lot more expensive than budget tens units.