This article will discuss whether a TENS machine can help with poor blood circulation and your best options to buy one in the market. If you are in a hurry, the table below gives a quick snapshot of your best options.
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Do you often feel a tingling sensation in your extremities? Do you find your limbs or other body parts numb? You might have poor blood circulation.
Poor blood circulation is a symptom of a deeper malaise in your body. You might be suffering from Diabetes, Peripheral Artery Disease, Varicose Veins, Blood clots, or other problems that have lead to a reduction of blood circulation.
A TENS machine uses electrical impulses to stimulate nerve cells in your body and is often used for pain relief. However, one interesting side effect that medical practitioners observe is that TENS machines also have an effect on blood circulation.
So, let us answer your question without further ado: Can A TENS Machine Help With Poor Blood Circulation And Your Best Options to buy.
Can A TENS Machine Help With Poor Blood Circulation And Your Best Options
Straight off the bat, TENS machines for poor circulation have been shown by studies to enhance both blood flow velocity and the size of the arteries carrying blood during and at least sometime after you apply them to your body.
Your body receives oxygen and nutrients from the blood. If it flows poorly, it becomes a top job as you send nutrients and oxygen to the cells. Poor blood flow is the cause of many pain areas in the body. A TENS machine can help reduce many types of pain such as knee pain, face pain, and neck pain as well.
A TENS machine is not very bulky. Expect it to be a tiny, portable, and battery running device that you can wear on your body.
It has a small box containing many wires with sticky pads stuck to your skin. When you switch it on, little electric shocks are produced. Now that’s nothing to fear. These vibrations are too small to scare you. Shocks transmit electrical pulses to your body which in turn eases pain.
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Advantages of a TENS machine
To know its benefits, first, break into simpler terms.
- Transcutaneous- penetrating through the skin
- Electrical- TENS contact with the skin and delivers electrical pulses through electrodes.
- Nerve- Pain signals reach your brains via nerves; TENS machines focus on this principle.
- Stimulation– These tiny shocks block pain signals from reaching the brain. Hence the brain receives fewer signals than it could get from the pain source.
Science believes that the brain and spinal cord have a gate mechanism. The more signals into it, the more we feel. What the TENS machine does is stimulate nonpain carrying nerves. It also closes the gate. Consequently, the brain remains engaged with TENS machine signals rather than pain signals. This happens because TENS signals are way faster than pain signals.
It relieves you from
- Period pain
- Joint pain
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Labour pain
- Postoperative pain.
A TENS machine for poor blood circulation is also helpful to alleviate painful conditions of:
- Sports injuries
- Arthritis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Spinal cord injury
- Endometriosis
- Diabetic neuropathy
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Caution
While you place an order to get a TENS machine at your home, it’s essential to check out the caution you should take so that there’s nothing to regret.
- If you have broken or damaged skin near the pain source, avoid placing electrode pads on it.
- Do not place electrodes near the neck, on the eyes, genitals, in the mouth.
- Do not ever use a TENS machine near water, like while bathing or showering.
- TENS machines can increase discomfort when used on skin with low sensation.
- It can be dangerous to use TENS while driving or operating machinery. The best practice is to use this machine on acupuncture points. Remember, if you fall in any one of these categories, say ‘NO’ to a TENS machine.
- If you do not know the cause of pain or never diagnosed it.
- Pregnant women should not use it until in labor. Make sure to get medical advice.
- A person on the pacemaker.
- The person is going through epilepsy or any heart disease.
General Instructions
Make sure to follow these instructions before applying the TENS machine to your body to get the most out of it.
- TENS machines are not place-bound. It means you can move around with it. When you’re working at an office desk or on the way to the grocery store, you can tuck it into the pocket or attach it with the belt by the clip.
- Double-check the machine is switched off before putting it over your skin.
- Before applying on the pain source area, check it with your fingers. It should give you a tingling sensation.
- Your skin should be clean and dry with no cuts or scrapes where you will put the pad.
- If you have to be in motion a lot while using this pad, use tape to keep it attached.
- If you are entirely new to this, keep the setting at 100 Hz.
- The order of setting should be, Switch on> Turn the intensity up gradually > Turn it slightly up when tingling sensation drops. Make sure you do not make it extreme, as overstimulation can worsen your condition.
- If the pad causes skin reddening, switch on to another kind of pad.
- You can use it for 45 minutes straight.
Selection Criteria
In this article, we have brought for you some of the best TENS machines for blood circulation. We have selected these five because they have some great features best suited for increasing blood circulation in the body. Our selection here is based on the number of pads, modes, and intensity of each machine. The more they are, the better it is.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any side effects of using a TENS machine?
If you have been fighting with chronic pain or any extended time pain and are tired of depending on the medication, the TENS machine is a great solution. Now there’s a limit to every good thing too. People who have been using tens machines found it a perfect pain relief option. While painkillers can make you addicted to them, TENS don’t!
But very few people have observed that using the TENS machine has produced a buzzing, tingling, or prickling sensation, making them a bit uncomfortable. Everyone has a different body and skin, and some skin is allergic to adhesive pads. If you also are sensitive towards adhesive pads and showing irritation signs, it’s time to turn back to hypoallergenic pads.
Rest you can be sure that TENS will not harm you anyway as far as you don’t put it on restricted areas.
How long does its effect last?
Many customers fear that TENS machines are effective only the time they are used. But the story is a bit different. It entirely depends on how old the user you are. If your skin is newly exposed to TENS machines for poor blood circulation, it can give you temporary relief. The chances are high that it will return when you switch the device off. Or, in some cases, it provides 24 hours adequate relief.
With repeated TENS treatments, does duration increase. You won’t find it coming back every next day. But this can also build up tolerance towards machines.
Tolerance develops when your body no longer feels the pain relief effect like you felt the very first time. Make sure you include changes in duration and sessions. Also, try to increase or decrease the intensity daily. You can try out alternate TENS units between LF and HF.
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Best TENS Machines For Poor Blood Circulation
#1 TENS 7000 2nd Edition Digital Unit
- Pads: This TENS unit comes with 4 self-adhesive unit pads. As soon as you keep it in contact with skin sticks, automatically and you won’t have to adjust it. Place the pad on the body part where you want to receive treatment. You don’t have to lie down as these pads don’t remove until you wish. Also, these are multi-use. You would appreciate that these beds are reusable, which means you don’t have to buy loads of pads to complete a session or two.
- Versatile: It works on physician-grade Technology e which triggers all painful point sources. It helps to reduce pain from injuries. You can use it for all body pains. Be it back pain, neck pain, or migraine.
- Multimode: This machine has multiple therapy modes, including burst, modulation, standard modulation, strength-duration 1, and strength-duration 2. You can apply any one of them depending on the pain level.
#2 Belifu Dual Channel TENS EMS Unit
- Twenty-four massage modes: Not one or two, but this unit contains 24 programmed massage modes. You can use this blindly to reduce pain and muscle spasms. The cause of the pain can be from Arthritis, periods, or injuries. This massager acts as a weapon to fight against all chronic pain.
- Accessories: This TENS device comes with all those accessories you need to use for the long term. Beat large pads, medium pads, small pads, a bag to carry it, and an instruction manual or wire set. You get all in one. This bag is dustproof and contains a drawstring as a closure. You can put in all the ten pieces of pads and a TENS massager. As it is dustproof, cleaning it becomes effortless.
- Intensity: Like any advanced pain-relieving unit, you can change the intensity of the A/B pot as per your requirement with 20 intensity levels. All you do is rotate the knob.
#3 AUVON Dual Channel TENS Unit
- Twenty modes: Getting fatigue muscles at the end of a stressful day is not uncommon. It presents 20 modes of flexibility to choose the level of comfort. It gives you the authentic feel of hammering, kneading, shiatsu, and other massage choices. It helps pain produced from fatigue muscles.
- Independent Control: There are separate modes and intensities that you can apply. Channel A and channel B have various modes to choose from. Controlling or adjusting it is super easy.
- One for all: Whether you are an office worker, housewife, middle-aged or older person, you can use it without worrying and seeing results in no time. This excellent pain-relieving unit allows you to use it for 10 hours straight. You can charge it with any USB.
#4 Tens Unit Plus 24 Unit
- 6 Modes: There are six modes to choose from. It stimulates muscle and produces endorphins. Endorphin is a natural painkiller that is produced inside the body. Hence it is a drug-free and natural method to relieve pain.
- Complete package: If you think you are getting only the unit alone, you are wrong! You get everything in the package required for the device to function—all size electrodes, one controller, charger, plastic holder, belt clip, USB cable.
- Pain relief: If you have a record of back pain or other pain issues, you might have come across physical therapies known for muscle stimulation. This TENS machine replaces any intense physical therapy of stimulation as it has a powerful current.
#5 TENKER EMS TENS Unit
- Adjustable timer and intensity: this machine has an embedded timer that offers you the flexibility to set a time anywhere between 10 to 60 minutes. You can set the default to 20 minutes. Also, it has 20 intensity levels that let your body accommodate gradually.
- Twenty-four massage modes: You have surely heard of body simulation technology, bioelectric Technology, bionic Technology, and microcomputer control technology. These are known for penetrating muscle layers and provide effective healing massage. This preprogrammed TENS unit works on a similar principle.
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Conclusion
A TENS machine is a good option for improving blood circulation as it is non-invasive and is much simpler to use. Also, you get some good results in very little time.
This article has selected the best TENS machine for poor blood circulation based on the number of pads, modes, and intensity.
In our opinion, the TENS 7000 Digital TENS Unit with Accessories - TENS Unit Muscle Stimulator for Back Pain Relief, Shoulder Pain Relief, Neck Pain, Sciatica Pain Relief, Nerve Pain Relief, Hip Pain Relief is the best choice for poor blood circulation because this digital and electronic unit helps in regulating blood circulation by giving electrical signals. This gives the same result as a massage. It relieves pain and provides comfort.
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If you are looking for a value for money option, you can also consider the TENKER TENS Unit Muscle Stimulator, 24 Modes TENS EMS Machine for Pain Relief Therapy/Pain Management, Rechargeable Electronic Pulse Massager with 2"x2" and 2"x4" TENS Unit Electrode Pads, which offers great value and features at a very reasonable price point.
While we make every effort to provide updated and correct information, the advice given in this article and website should not be construed as “medical advice.” Please consult with your physician or medical practitioner before using any TENS machine. Each individual may have unique issues, and your medical practitioner is the best person to decide the best TENS machine for your case.