It’s hard to find a product that can relieve temporary pain from injuries or exercise as well as chronic pain from conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia. But a TENS unit fits the bill: It’s a small device that sends painless electrical currents through the skin to disrupt pain signals. A TENS unit is not only an easy and affordable way to find at-home pain relief, but it’s also a completely drug-free alternative to pain relief.
Thomas Pontinen, MD, LCP-C, anesthesiologist, interventional pain management specialist, and co-founder of MAPS Centers For Pain Control, says that reducing the risks of medication dependency comes down to providing safe, effective options. Having access to TENS units at home has been a game-changer for many of his patients.
We talked to experts and researched the most popular options to find the best ones for relieving everything from neck and back pain to foot neuropathy and menstrual cramps at home.
What Is a TENS Unit?
A TENS unit is a portable device offering drug-free pain relief to many areas of the body, including the back, legs, lower abdomen, neck, and shoulders. TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and while that might sound intimidating, all it means is that a TENS unit is designed to send electrical currents through the skin wherever you place the electrodes, or small pads, that come with the device. These currents aren’t painful, but cause a mild tingling or buzzing sensation.
These electrical currents may relieve pain by blocking pain signals transmitted through the body to the brain, and may also trigger endorphins, which are naturally pain-relievers.
Benefits of Using a TENS Unit at Home
There are two main benefits to using a TENS unit at home, says Dr. Pontinen. For one, you have the option to receive non-medicated pain relief at any time of the day or night, which can be particularly helpful for people who wake up with muscle or joint pain or who have a chronic condition that causes them to experience sudden pain flares.
Another benefit is that TENS units work every time you use them. Dr. Pontinen emphasizes that while they’re proven to be helpful for many people, TENS units do not cure the underlying cause of your pain: In other words, you can’t expect to use a TENS machine at a physical therapy appointment and have that session carry you over, pain-free, until the following week. Instead, using a TENS unit at home allows you to consistently access a drug-free pain relief alternative when needed, and in a way that might allow you to have less pain (with fewer medication side effects) in your day-to-day life.
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Oxiline
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Simple touchscreen interface
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Made for precise pain relief
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Good return and warranty policies
Key Specs
Intensity Levels: 10 | Battery: Rechargeable lithium ion battery | Accessories: 6 electrode pads, micro-USB charger, travel pouch | Best For: Precision pain relief
Why We Recommend It
The Oxiline Tens X Pro is the favorite TENS unit of Thomas Nguyen, MD, pain specialist with Virginia Spine Institute, because it meets all of the qualifications he thinks a unit should have: multiple therapy modes, a long battery life (12 hours on just one charge!), and the ability to deliver precise pain relief thanks to something the brand calls “Nexus” technology—and we agree. The Oxiline unit is an easy-to-use device with a clean, touchscreen interface that makes switching between the unit’s 10 intensity levels and 32 therapy modes pretty simple, and the silicone-carbon electrode pads are also made to assist with better, faster pain relief while sticking comfortably to your skin. Though it’s not cheap, when you consider that it’s a professional-grade device that’s easy to use, we think it’s reasonably priced.
If you’re looking for something more affordable, the Easy@Home TENS Unit Muscle Stimulator is a great option for anyone wanting to try out TENS therapy. It offers 10 intensity levels, three therapy programs, and automated options for different body parts or target areas, but it only comes with 4 electrode pads. For a budget-friendly option that’s more of a workhorse with more customization, check out the Belifu Dual Channel TENS EMS Unit. Like the Easy@Home unit, it’s easy to operate, but with 20 intensity levels, 24 therapy modes, and 10 electrode pads for placement all over the body, it offers more flexibility. This isn’t a professional-grade unit like the Oxiline Tens X Pro, but it’s cost-effective.
Keep In Mind
While it’s definitely not the most expensive unit on the market, the Oxiline Tens X Pro is a little more expensive than many of the other options we’ve included on this list. If you’re a first-time TENS user or you’re unsure if a TENS unit will relieve your pain, it might not be the best choice since it’s more of an investment than other devices.
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Amazon
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Targets the lower back without need for electrode placement
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40 inches of adjustability with extender
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Portable and easy to travel with
Key Specs
Intensity Levels: 20 | Battery: AAA batteries | Accessories: None | Best For: Lower back pain
Why We Recommend It
We love the idea of using TENS to relieve lower back pain, which can disrupt every part of your day (and night!), but it could be a challenge to arrange a set of TENS electrodes on your lower back in the exact places where you need relief. That’s why we think the Beurer EM38 Lower Back Pain Relief Belt is a great choice for treating lower back pain with TENS: since it’s a belt, you don’t have to stick individual electrodes on your skin at all. Simply wrap the belt around you comfortably—it’s adjustable between 30 and 55 inches—and fasten it in place.
Not only does it offer TENS pain relief with four built-in electrodes that can cycle through 20 different intensity levels and four therapy modes, but the Beurer belt also provides a small amount of lumbar support, functioning as a gentle posture corrector for your lower back. It’s powered by a small handheld unit that runs on AAA batteries and features simple, non-digital controls, making it easy for all types of users to operate. It also has a few non-essential but helpful features, like a low battery light, an auto-timer for shutoff, and an extra 15-inch waist extender that adds to its overall length.
Overall, the Beurer Pain Relief Belt is affordable, convenient, and easy to use, making it a good choice for treating aggravating lower back pain.
Keep In Mind
While the belt is great for targeting lower back pain without needing to worry about electrode placement, the style of the belt limits its use (you can’t place it anywhere except for around your waist, unlike other devices that allow for more versatility).
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Amazon
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Wireless for freedom of movement
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Includes a hard carrying case
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Pods can be programmed to different therapy modes
Key Specs
Intensity Levels: 25 | Battery: Rechargeable lithium ion battery | Accessories: 2 reusable electrodes, hand remote | Best For: Treating pain during activities, or treating more than one kind of pain
Why We Recommend It
If the thought of being hooked up to various wires and cables makes you averse to TENS therapy, there’s good news: some devices are wireless, like the iReliev Premium TENS + EMS Therapeutic Wearable System. It comes in a set of either two or four receivers, or “pods,” that transmit the TENS therapy. Both types of sets include a hard carrying case, a remote control device, electrode pads to attach the devices to your body, and all the necessary charging cables. Whichever set you order, you can apply the pods, set your therapy goals, and go about your usual activities, even leaving the remote control behind; the pods will keep track of your settings. They’re also able to be programmed to operate on different channels, which means you can apply different settings to each one—for example, you could choose a lower intensity program for muscle conditioning for one pod, and a higher intensity program for pain relief for another. Being wireless means you can even spread them out on your body since you’re not bound by any cables. The iReliev Premium wearable system isn’t the only wireless TENS unit available, but its combination of convenience and customization make it one of the better options.
If you’re looking for even more portability, the Easy@Home Wireless TENS Unit with APP Remote Control may be your perfect match, thanks to the MyPainOff app. This allows you to control the unit without a remote, so all you need to access fast pain relief wherever you are is your smartphone and the electrode pod. The app is simple and easy to navigate with any iOS or Android smartphone, and gives you comprehensive information about how you’ve used your device in the past. Just keep in mind there’s also only one electrode pod, which is fine for focusing on a single area but not so great if your pain is more widespread.
Keep In Mind
The four-pod set is almost $250, so if you’re looking for a really comprehensive wireless set, it will cost more than many of the other options here. The pods themselves are also a bit bulky, so even though they’re convenient, you might notice them more than the usual slim electrode pads.
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Amazon
Key Specs
Intensity Levels: 15 | Battery: USB rechargeable battery | Accessories: 2 gel pads, USB cable | Best For: Menstrual pain
Why We Recommend It
One of the most comforting treatments for painful menstrual cramps is heat, but heat alone often isn’t enough to find relief; the Beurer EM50 TENS Unit and Heating Pad, which is made from flexible silicone, delivers both gentle heat and TENS pain relief to the lower abdominal area, operating on a 20-minute long cycle (with an auto-shutoff for safety) that allows you to simply position it, forget about it, and feel better.
With a slim profile that fits easily under your clothes, the Beurer EM50 sticks to your skin with a set of reusable gel adhesive pads, staying in place and providing six therapy sessions per charge. When you do need a recharge, you plug the device right into a power source using a USB cable. The maximum temperature of the device is just over 104 degrees, and it heats up quickly in about three minutes. You can also use the heat and TENS settings separately or together, and the device itself can be placed in other areas, too, like the lower back.
Keep In Mind
Like some of the other single electrode units on this list, you’re somewhat limited in where you can place the Beurer EM50 and how much widespread pain you can treat. It’s also only available in a bright magenta color; we might have liked to see it offered in a more neutral color to blend in better under clothing.
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Amazon
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Three types of electrical stimulation
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Huge number of adjustable settings
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Electrode pads for extending therapy beyond the feet
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Lightweight, but bulky and hard to travel with
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Can’t be used during physical activity
Key Specs
Intensity Levels: 99 | Battery: AC adapter | Accessories: 8 electrodes, remote control | Best For: Treating pain on soles of feet
Why We Recommend It
Foot pain can be stubborn and hard to ignore, but TENS therapy can work quickly and effectively to get you literally back on your feet. We like the range of therapy options available with the Creliver Foot Circulation Plus, which looks a lot like a standard foot massager but is actually so much more. It combines TENS therapy with muscle stimulation and pulse therapy. In total, it offers three different ways to find relief from foot pain, and that’s not even counting the mild heat and rolling fasciitis massager that are also included in the unit.
There’s a significant amount of adjustability with this device, which has an astounding 99 levels of intensity and 25 preset programs. It can be controlled directly on the device or with a remote control and a 25-minute auto-shutoff feature. It’s lightweight and easy to move around but can accommodate 220 pounds of weight. Finally, we love that the Creliver device also comes with eight electrode pads attached to the unit with wires; this means you can extend the therapy up your legs to your ankles, calves, or even your knees and benefit from wide-ranging pain relief.
Keep In Mind
As much as we like what this unit offers, it’s worth remembering that it’s nowhere near as portable as other TENS units: It’s large and bulky (i.e., it can’t fit in your pocket), and since you have to sit down while using it, you can’t receive treatment while doing any other type of physical or daily activity.
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Amazon
Key Specs
Intensity Levels: 15 | Battery: USB-rechargeable battery | Accessories: Remote control | Best For: Neck pain and stiffness
Why We Recommend It
Neck pain can be challenging to cope with, especially if it’s causing other symptoms like back pain or headaches. With its around-the-neck design, the Alicorn Pulse Smart Neck Massager with Heat not only provides instant pain relief exactly where you need it, but it also distributes soothing and effective heat therapy to loosen stiff muscles and decrease tension in the neck and spine.
True to its name, there are some extremely smart design features to be found on the Alicorn Smart Neck Massager: it’s lightweight and wireless, plugs directly into a USB cable for charging, and has a magnet that attaches to the remote control (making it easier to keep everything together when not in use). We also appreciate that the device is made of silicone, and the pads can be rotated to 360 degrees, adjusting to fit your unique anatomy, which increases individual comfort when using the device and allows it to be shared among family members if needed.
Keep In Mind
This device is meant to be used around the neck only, so if you are looking for TENS therapy for multiple areas of your body, this is just an extra expense. There’s also the chance that the device could not fit comfortably on or around your neck, and it only has two electrode pads, somewhat limiting its overall effectiveness.
How We Selected the Best TENS Units
After speaking with our experts, we were mindful of several key attributes as we honed in on the best TENS units and prioritized products that had most or all of the following attributes:
- Quality. As a somewhat “trendy” at-home healthcare product, there’s an overwhelming number of TENS units for sale online and in stores. They’re not all equal in quality of construction, though, so when comparing similar units between a well-known healthcare brand and a lesser-known brand, we opted for the well-known brand.
- Precision. The more precise treatment a TENS unit can deliver, the better; Dr. Nguyen says you want accurate distribution of the electric currents for the best pain relief results, so we included many units designed to treat specific areas of the body.
- Customization. Both of our experts talked about having multiple options as far as intensity, therapy modes, and electrode placement so each user can customize the TENS experience to their needs, so we also looked for units with a lot of versatility and adjustability.
- Ease of Use: According to Dr. Nguyen, an easy-to-use TENS unit will be simple to apply to your body and have customizable modes or programs, so we looked for TENS units with touchscreen options for changing the product’s therapy modes that were easy to use.
- Portability: Some experts suggest that TENS units work best when you wear them while performing some kind of physical activity (even if it’s just doing chores around the house), so most of the TENS units we included are small and lightweight enough to carry around and have a solid battery life, so you’re not constantly running out of power or needing to charge it between sessions.
How to Choose the Best TENS Unit for YOU
- Versatility: In assessing a unit’s versatility, Dr. Nguyen recommends thinking about how customizable it is (i.e. does it have multiple therapy modes or intensity levels) rather than whether it can relieve pain in many different areas of the body; precise pain relief for your individual injury is more important than being able to apply the unit to your back, legs, and shoulders, for example.
- Features: There are several extra features you might find on a TENS unit, but you probably don’t need all of them. We recommend focusing on the features that increase a unit’s flexibility for your needs: this might include choosing a wireless unit over a corded one, a unit with a wide variety of electrical stimulation settings, or a unit with multiple options for electrode placement, which Dr. Pontinen says can be helpful in customizing your TENS setup.
Our Experts
We asked several experts to share their insights on shopping for a TENS unit, including what to look for, what to avoid and best practices for use, including:
- Thomas Nguyen, MD, pain specialist with Virginia Spine Institute
- Thomas Pontinen, MD, LCP-C, anesthesiologist, interventional pain management specialist, and co-founder of MAPS Centers For Pain Control
Why Trust Verywell Health
Sarah Bradley has been a freelance journalist since 2017, writing health commerce articles, product reviews, and shopping guides on everything from dry skin moisturizers and wart removers to menstrual cups and toothbrushes. She regularly covers physical therapy products, and understands how important it is for people with injuries and chronic pain conditions to have access to safe, reliable, and well-vetted product recommendations.
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