The use of a TENS machine should be as one part of a pain management program under the guidance of your doctor/healthcare practitioner.

TENS is an abbreviation of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. Transcutaneous means “across the skin”. In simple terms, a tens machine stimulates your nerves via an electrical current through your skin. TENS machines are available for hire or for purchasing at Ormond Physiotherapy.

TENS machine can be used during pregnancy to aid in labour. TENS is usually recommended for use from the very beginning of your labour to provide some pain relief. You could start using it when you’re getting regular contractions or backache. You may find that the machine works better at relieving your backache than your abdominal pain, this is probably because the pads are on your back.