Period pain affects roughly 70% of women. It is generally classified into two groups: primary and secondary.
Primary dysmenorrhea is the common form of menstrual cramps. It is caused by a substance called prostaglandin – made by cells in the inner lining of the uterus. Prostaglandin makes uterine muscles contract in order to help shed the lining built up during the menstrual cycle. Too much prostaglandin causes painful menstruation.
Secondary dysmenorrhea is less common. It occurs after a woman has already had normal menstrual cycles for some time. It is caused by an abnormality or infection of the uterus, tubes, or ovaries.
How does TENS help with period pain?
TENS is ideal for the treatment of painful menstruation. It is non-invasive and drug-free. Pads are placed on the back, near the area of pain. TENS uses soothing pulses that are sent via the pads through the skin and along the nerve fibres. The pulses suppress pain signals to the brain and encourage the body to produce higher levels of its own natural pain killing chemicals – endorphins and encephalins.
Elle TENS offers a full range of TENS & EMS devices to help
How does EMS differ from TENS?
The easiest way to tell the difference between TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and EMS is that TENS targets nerves to reduce pain, whereas EMS targets muscles to aid recovery.
TENS machines act to block pain signals reaching the brain and release endorphins to make you feel good. EMS machines on the other hand target specific muscles to reduce inflammation and force these muscles to fire when an injury may prevent you from using these muscles naturally. By keeping these muscles engaged they will not lose strength (atrophy) so you can return to normal activity and performance sooner.
Key Benefits of an EMS Machine
An EMS machine has many benefits to your muscles. It can:
- Relax the muscle
- Minimise muscle inflammation
- Prevent atrophy of the muscle
- Speed up muscle healing
- Stimulate muscle growth
“EMS is the fastest growing area of the fitness industry”
EMS or TENS machines what do I need?
TENS machines are used to relieve chronic nerve, muscle or joint pain including inflammatory arthritis, back pain, foot pain, contractions during childbirth, or post-operative pain. A migraine can also be relieved by specialised TENS machines.
EMS machines, on the other hand, are used to relax or strengthen the muscles, for example in cases of muscular spasm, poor blood circulation (particularly in the back and nape of the neck), muscle atrophy after an illness or as part of rehabilitation from an injury. They are therefore more often recommended for the relief of muscle pain. Athletes also sometimes use EMS in order to recover from an injury more quickly, as electrical muscle stimulation will enable them to rebuild muscle without too much strain and to exercise muscles that they may not use very much.
3-in-1 Combo TENS, EMS & Massage
The elletens 3-in-1 Combo device offers both TENS and EMS in one single unit along with a relaxing massage function. If you suffer from ongoing pain and also need to help with rehabilitation from a recent injury (or are injury prone) this device could be a great addition to your pain relief and rehabilitation program.
Our devices with EMS capability
Strengthen, tone and repair for complete rehabilitation.