How to use a TENS units & EMS machines for hand & wrist pain relief? Placement of electrode pads (UK)

The wrists are among the most used joints, and are vital for performing daily tasks, as well as for sports performance in disciplines such as tennis, basketball and boxing.

However, lacking mostly muscular structure, the wrists, and consequently the hands, are very vulnerable to injury. For this reason, it is necessary to be aware of the ways in which TENS and EMS electrical stimulation therapies can help you deal with hand and wrist injuries and the pain they cause.

How to use a TENS machine to relieve wrist and hand pain?

The use of TENS units is widely recommended for the treatment of pain, athletes and people with chronic ailments in muscles and joints. This therapy has a great number of benefits, among which we can highlight the following:

• Increased pain resistance: pain receptors located in the wrist joint are directly affected by the electric shocks, causing a feeling of relief during the course of the session.
• Numbness of nerve endings: clusters of nerve endings, located around the joint, are suppressed, limiting the patient's sensation of pain.
• Increased blood flow: the electric current applies heat directly to the joint, causing vasodilatation which increases blood flow and generates a considerable decrease in pain.
• Relaxation in the fibrous tissue: tension in the ulnar collateral, radial collateral and radiocarpal ligaments is considerably reduced, relaxing the wrist involuntarily and reducing pain.

The benefits of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation can be applied to a variety of ailments, both acute and chronic, although it is necessary to emphasize the fact that this therapy is a way to treat the symptoms of various ailments, not to cure injuries. Be sure to consult a specialist for recommended therapies for the treatment of any ailment.

Best TENS machines for Wrist Injury Recovery

The effectiveness of these therapies has led to the creation of a wide variety of devices, which you can purchase and use to treat the symptoms of a wrist injury, for this, you can use some of the following devices:

The E3 model from OMRON is a TENS electrostimulator of compact size and great power, designed to be portable and used to relieve pain caused by exhaustion, injuries or diseases such as sciatica or neuropathy. This device uses TENS stimulation technology, proven and widely used by physiotherapists for its ability to relieve any type of pain.

It has a wide variety of pre-programmed modes of use designed to treat a wide range of ailments. Its compact size makes it incredibly convenient to carry wherever you want, and its specialized long-lasting electrodes can be washed and reused up to 150 times. The purchased package contains 1 OMRON E3 electrostimulator, 1 electrode cable and 1 long-lasting pad.

Dioche has available to the public one of the best TENS machines on the market, which stands out for its ease of use, versatility and portability. You can use it to relieve pain caused by various causes, from neuropathies and arthritis to injuries and muscle contractures.

One of its best features is the presence of a laser line for the nose that will allow you to treat rhinitis symptoms effectively, improving your health conditions considerably. The dual channel function of this rechargeable mini TENS machine allows you to treat multiple parts of the body simultaneously, bringing benefits such as improved circulation, reduced pain and accelerated metabolism.

Omron has a wide range of electrostimulation devices in stock, including Omron HeatTens, which combines the therapeutic effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation with the effective method of heat therapy, resulting in one of the most complete relaxation and pain relief effects available on the market.

Its operation is really simplified, having 6 preset programs that focus on treating different areas of the body, which you can customize by modifying the 3 TENS massage modes, in combination with the 3 heat therapy modes. It is the best choice for joint and muscle ailments and you will get 1 Omrom HeatTens, 2 Omron gel pads, 1 power adapter and an instruction manual.

The TechCare Plus 24 muscle massager is one of the most comfortable and compact models available on the market. It offers the best solution for any type of muscle pain through its electrotherapy massages, which are a combination of TENS and EMS modalities, which apply low intensity currents to greatly reduce the sensation of pain in the treated area.

It includes 24 modes of use that apply different types of massages focused on dealing with particular ailments. Its lithium battery allows continuous use for more than 20 hours, and has a session timer that can be set from 10 to 60 minutes. The purchase includes 1 mini Plus 24 electro stimulator, 1 carrying case, 6 large electrodes, 2 guide cables, 1 user manual and 1 USB charger.

The Med-Fit 3 electrostimulator model from Med-Fit physiotherapy articles is one of the best options for the relief of chronic ailments, making use of mild electrical signals completely safe for the user, which interfere with the electrical signals that produce the sensation of pain and stimulate the production of endorphins, the body's natural analgesic.

One of the best features of the Med-Fit 3 is its dual channel functionality, through which you will have the possibility to treat individually different areas of the body simultaneously, or provide a deeper treatment to a specific area, thanks to its different modes of use focused on the treatment of different types of ailments.

How to use an EMS muscle electro stimulator for the wrist?

While EMS therapy is widely used in certain disciplines to improve grip strength, the reality is that it has no effect when applied directly to the wrist, due to the lack of muscle tissue in this region.

In fact, the impulses provoked by these devices can be detrimental to the integrity of the joint if it is in the process of recovery, so its direct use on the wrist is not advisable.

With this in mind, muscle electrostimulation can be used to strengthen the muscles of the forearms, which provide mobility to the wrist and grip strength for the hand, such as the palmaris longus muscle, the common flexor of the fingers and the pronator quadratus.

The benefits these muscles can receive from EMS therapy are:

• Increased grip strength: increased finger flexor muscle strength will increase finger strength, allowing you to grip and control weights in your training routine.
• Increased flexibility: the muscle contractions caused by EMS therapy increase the flexibility of the muscle being worked, which translates into a greater range of arm extension.
• Reduced stress on elbows and wrists: increased strength in the brachioradialis, flexor carpi ulnaris and common extensor digitorum allows for an even distribution of stress, reducing the impact on the elbow and wrist.
• Increased motor skills: the overall increase in muscle strength in the forearm area improves coordination, leading to increased dexterity and skills such as writing or carrying heavy objects.

Best EMS electrostimulators for strengthening the wrist joint

The range of benefits offered by EMS stimulators for hands and wrists is quite wide, and while their focus is not on treating joint pain, it is possible to use them for conditioning muscles such as the brachioradialis, pronator teres and common extensor digitorum, which are indispensable for hand and wrist mobility. The best muscle electrostimulation devices to choose from are the following:

The Compex Fit 5.0 is designed especially for fitness fanatics who train daily. It is provided with 2 very complete stimulation modules, along with the possibility of adding two new modules to increase the effectiveness of the results. Its combination of TENS and EMS modalities will allow you to develop your body's musculature, while helping you to relax and relieve fatigue-related aches and pains.

It uses wireless technology to provide a comfortable massage experience, and makes use of MI technology for faster results, greatly enhancing the effectiveness of the treatment. While it is largely focused on fitness, for which it has 14 programs, it also pays attention to rehabilitation and pain relief, as it also has 10 programs for ailment relief, 4 recovery massage programs, and 2 rehabilitation programs.

PowerDot has launched for its consumers one of the best wireless electrostimulation devices on the market, consisting only of smart electrodes directed through a mobile application that you can find for Android and iOS operating systems, making the PowerDot 2.0 one of the most versatile devices on the market.

It has over 400 customised modes of use divided between EMS and TENS muscle stimulation, functions dedicated to the relief of all types of ailments and physical conditioning. The box includes 2 pre-charged pods, 2 sets of electrodes, 2 connection cables, 2 USB chargers, along with a carrying case ready to charge everything wherever you go.

EOSVAP has a versatile dual-channel electrostimulator with 16 TENS massage modes, through which you can treat a wide range of ailments, regardless of whether they are caused by injury or illness. It is one of the best options to treat the symptoms of arthritis, sciatica, cramps and muscle pain.

Its independent control function allows you to set separate modes of use for channels A and B, so that each applies a different type of massage to each region of the body being treated, adapting to your needs. It is one of the most practical and compact models you can find, so you can take it with you and use it whenever you want.

The physiotherapy brand Beurer offers its users one of the most versatile electrostimulation devices that can be found on the market. This is the Beurer EM49, which contains an incredible 3-in-1 function that allows you to apply therapeutic massage, muscle stimulation and nerve stimulation, providing a completely different level of relief to its users with its more than 70 programs and 50 levels of intensity.

This powerful electro-stimulator offers immediate relief for almost any type of ailment using stimulation methods that stimulate the production of natural analgesic agents within the body. It also works as an effective methods to accelerate muscle growth and regeneration, making it one of the most complete and versatile electrostimulation units on the market.

The TensCare Flexstim multifunction device is one of the most complete and versatile electrostimulators you will find. Brought to you by the TensCare brand, this device combines a variety of electrostimulation technologies designed to treat different types of ailments. TENS, EMS, Micro Currents and IFT technologies allow it to relieve acute and chronic ailments, deep muscle pain and promote the rehabilitation and regeneration of muscle fibers.

It includes 53 massage programs in total, which are designed to treat a wide variety of ailments. Additionally, some of these programs have modifiable parameters that allow you to create the perfect customized programs for your own needs.

Video: How to place electrodes pads on the hands and wrists?

Electrodes for hands & wrists

• For carpal tunnel syndrome: Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common ailments in the wrist area, and it is necessary to position the electrodes in the right place to treat it optimally. To do this, the first electrode will be positioned in the lower area of the palm of the hand, while the second electrode should be placed on the back of the forearm, slightly above the wrist joint as you will see in the following image.
• For sprained wrist: A sprained wrist can cause pain both on the anterior and posterior side, as well as on the lateral sides of the joint. However, being such a small area, it is possible to relieve pain in any part of it with a single way of placing the electrodes as you will see below.
• By ganglion: These protuberances can be quite problematic for the mobility of the wrist, and generate a lot of pain when they press on the radial nerve. In this case we can alleviate such pain by placing the pads as follows.
• For the brachioradialis: The first of them is the brachioradialis muscle, in which case, the pad will be positioned on the muscle belly, just to one side of the second electrode, which will be placed on the anterior palmar muus, causing uniform contractions in the upper area of the forearm, which provides stability to the elbow.
• For the flexors: The deep flexor muscle of the fingers is responsible for regulating grip strength, and to train it, you should position the electrodes in the middle area of the anterior aspect of the forearm.

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Most common types of hand and wrist injuries

The extensive use of the wrists on a daily basis makes them vulnerable to a wide variety of injuries, which can occur from a variety of causes ranging from high-impact work to long-term awkward positions.

This causes wrist injuries to be very common in a large part of the population, and the most commonly seen are the following:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome: is a condition caused by pressure on the median nerve in the wrist, which can cause reduced grip strength, numbness in the thumb and palm, and sharp pain that can extend to the elbow. It is usually caused by fractures or injuries that cause pressure on the nerve.
• Tendonitis is a very common ailment that can cause discomfort in the hands and wrists. Lack of attention to this condition can cause inflammation, difficulty holding objects, pain and numbness. Its most common cause is overuse caused by excessive repetition of movements in the wrong way.
• Sprains: is an injury to the fibrous tissues of the wrist caused by sprains, trauma or sports-related injuries. It can cause swelling, bruising, pain and tenderness in the hand and wrist.
• Gout: is a form of arthritis caused by excess uric acid in the body, which accumulates in localized deposits in the joints, causing pain, tenderness, swelling and redness.
• Ganglion cyst: is the formation of a very common non-cancerous nodule that is believed to occur when the tissue surrounding a joint gets out of place. The cyst itself is painless, but compresses a nerve and may cause swelling, pain, tingling or muscle weakness.

Differences between TENS and EMS: Which one to use for hand pain?

Electrostimulation therapies are widely used to deal with the symptoms of chronic ailments and physiotherapeutic rehabilitation. However, in order to apply these techniques correctly, it is necessary to have clearly defined each one of them.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, or TENS for short, is a pain treatment technique that uses electrical shocks of varying intensity, between 1 and 250 Hz, which suppress the nerve endings responsible for the sensation of pain. It is a therapy completely focused on treating symptoms, not causes.

Electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, is a muscle training technique used in physical therapy settings for recovery and physical conditioning for athletes. It uses high intensity electrical impulses (between 70 and 150 Hz) to generate contractions in isolated muscles or muscle groups in order to increase their mass, strength and elasticity.

For ailments focused on hands and wrists, the optimal option is to focus on transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy TENS, since it is the option that works on the pain receptors in this area, in addition to having a more beneficial effect as it is a region made up of bones, ligaments and cartilage.

For this reason, the use of muscle electrostimulation is not indicated, since it is a form of muscle rehabilitation, it does not have a surface to work on, thanks to the lack of muscle tissue in the wrist. This therapy is recommended for areas with abundant muscle tissue, in addition to the fact that the contractions caused by EMS devices can cause pain when treating certain injuries.

Contraindications in the use of electrodes and electrotherapy