Use of transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) in chronic pain

The management of chronic pain is based on a biopsychosocial approach including pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). The effectiveness of TENS has been debated for over 50 years. While it provides symptomatic pain relief through physiological neuromodulation mechanisms, irrespective of the type of pain, there is no solid proof that it has curative effects specific to a pathology. There are no robust predictors of response to TENS depending on the type of pain, but reinforcing self-management skills in patients who benefit from it through an educational measure is a guarantee of satisfaction and retention.